Beastly Luck
by delphigirl689
Summary: Marinette is an ordinary girl in a village, but when her father is held a prisoner in a castle belonging to a gruesome, cat-like monster, she takes his place in exchange for his freedom. Little does she know that this beast is really a kind-hearted prince who was corrupted by an evil spell. Can Marinette restore the kindness in the heart of a beast and discover the prince inside?
1. Chapter 1

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Delphigirl689: Being a normally quiet member of the Miraculous Ladybug Fandom, I think it's time I actually contributed something.

I've seen a lot of fairy tale AU but one I've had in my head the past two weeks is a Beauty and the Beast one, with Marinette as Belle and Adrien as the Beast. I saw someone do a mini-comic where the enchantress curses Adrien because of his bad puns, and that's great for a laugh, but I was thinking about how Hawkmoth could fit into the story with the role of the enchantress. It would go something like this:

Once upon a time, in a far away land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Though he had everything his heart desired, the prince was far from spoiled, selfish, or unkind. In fact, many people thought he was kind to a fault. The prince was raised to be a kind and just ruler, one the people could rely on. Even after the death of his mother, he remained true to the lessons he learned. His father, the king, was often called away on business with the neighboring countries, leaving the kingdom in the capable hands of his son, but the prince never felt alone, for the castle servants, many with whom he grew up, were the greatest friends anyone could have. And there was even a little black cat that he took in, ignoring the superstition the servants warned him about. Several years of seeing his father in passing went by and all was still well in the kingdom. But that all changed one cold winter's night.

"Merry Christmas, Adrien!" the servants wished in unison as Nino, the prince's attendant, handed him his Christmas present. Adrien's eyes lit up with joy when he took the gift and said, "Thank you, everyone!" He eagerly opened it up and gasped in surprise, "It's a new storybook! Oh, this is the greatest thing I've ever seen!" "Your father will be very pleased that you enjoy it so much." the majordomo, Max, replied. Adrien was taken aback for a moment, "Wait, this is a gift from my father?" "Yes, your majesty," Natalie the head maid added, "The messenger arrived with it only a few hours ago." The prince thought for a moment, then announced, "Then for tonight's feast, set a place at the table for him! And arrange for him to stay in a comfortable room!" "As you wish, sire, but may I ask why?" Max questioned, to which Adrien answered, "The messenger has traveled many miles in unforgiving weather to bring this present here. It is only suitable that he be allowed to rest adequately before he returns to my father, and besides, it's Christmas!" The majordomo didn't question any further and set out to fulfill his duties.

After the feast, Adrien was asked by the servant children to read from his new book, which he happily agreed to do, but before he could begin, there was a knock at the door. "Who could be out there at this time of night?" Nino wondered aloud. Max added, "And in this dreadful weather?" "I'll go see. It might be someone in trouble." the noble prince said before heading for the door.

When the door opened, there was an old man shivering in his ragged clothes, who begged, "P-Please, kind sir, would you allow this old wretch shelter from this bitter cold?" Adrien didn't hesitate, "Of course, come in sir!" he said, aiding the old man into the castle. He helped him to the sitting room and offered, "Here, sir, you can have my chair." Then he told Natalie to bring the man some tea and Nino to get him a blanket. They did so quickly and the prince asked him, "Are you comfortable, sir?" " Oh, yes, very much so, young man. " the old man replied, " This is very kind of you. " " 'Kindness is not something to be taken lightly. It is the power to change the world for the better one person at a time.' That's what I was taught." Adrien stated. "Indeed it is, but there are those who would take advantage of one as kind as you." the old man warned him. Adrien simply said, "Even so, I'd rather be taken advantage of than regret not helping when I can. I just want to do the right thing."

"Ah, that is a shame." the old man stated. Suddenly, a cold wind entered the castle, dowsing the fireplace with any icy blast. An eerie glow enveloped the old man and the prince backed away in caution. The haggard man cackled as Adrien and the servants watched him transforms into a malicious sorcerer. "This almost makes me regret what I'm about to do to you." he said with a wicked smile on his face.

"Who are you?" Adrien questioned.

The dark warlock answered, "I am Hawkmoth, former advisor to the king. Until he banished me." Distain was written on his face as he explained.

Adrien said, "My father wouldn't banish anyone without a good reason." "King Gabriel did have a good reason, your highness." Natalie explained, "Hawkmoth was planning to take over the kingdom!"

"And thanks to that meddlesome queen, I never did! But, no matter. Now I'm here for revenge!"

"I'm afraid my father is away on business," the prince bravely told him, "So, you have come here for nothing."

Hawkmoth shook his head in amusement, "Oh, no your majesty, I think I came at just the right time. You see, when your father banished me, he had a good wizard cast a protective spell on the castle. He wanted to make sure both I and my magic couldn't touch any who dwell here and the only way I could was if one of royal blood welcomed me in." Adrien gasped in realization, and the warlock continued, "And now you will start to regret being so kind." Hawkmoth raised his staff to the ceiling, gathered dark magic.

The children hid behind the older servants and they trembled in fear. "Hear me! All who dwell here shall become as mere objects to serve the son of King Gabriel!" he bellowed. "No! Leave them alone!" the prince begged, "Curse only me instead!" Hawkmoth shook his head, "But that would be doing you a kindness. I have something far better in store for you."

Directing the staff at the prince himself, he declared, "As handsome as you are known to be, you believe that appearance isn't more important than a person's inner self. I shall put that to the test! Prince Adrien, from this day forth, you shall be a monster, a creature so unlovable that even your father will fear you! The gruesome harbinger of misfortune; Chat Noir!" As the warlock spoke, the prince transformed into a cat-like monster with pitch-black fur and fearsome green eyes. The servants were also changed into ordinary household objects, yet were still alive and mobile.

When all had been changed, Hawkmoth looked down upon the prince, who had collapsed from exhaustion, with false pity on his face and said, "Take heart, young prince. I'll not leave you like this without some hope." he paused and conjured up a single black rose that glowed a comforting soft purple light, then continued, "This rose shall bloom until the end of the coming year. You have until the last petal falls to find someone beyond your castle and family who can see past your new form and truly love you. If you can, the spell I've cast on you all will be broken. But if not, you will all remain this way for the rest of your lives." The once handsome prince looked at Hawkmoth with shock as the warlock vanished; his wicked cackling echoed even after he departed.

Nino, Max and Natalie(now a candelabra, clock, and teapot, respectively) came up to him. "Your highness, are you alright?" Natalie asked. The creature remorsefully replied, "No, this is all my fault. If I hadn't let that old man in, none of this would have happened." Max, trying to comfort him, reminded, "But, sire, there is still hope! We have a little over a year to find someone to break the spell!" Nino agreed, "That's right! And besides, you were being true to yourself. It's that Hawkmoth guy who deserves the blame." "Still, have the messenger tell Father to stay away from the castle. I don't want to risk that warlock attacking him too." the prince commanded. "Yes, at once, Adrien!" "And don't call me that! I'm Chat Noir now!" The servants were worried about the prince's sudden name change. The next day, the messenger went back to the king to deliver the awful news. When the king hadn't returned as scheduled, the prince sighed in relief.

But as the months passed, his hope began to dwindled. Even after discovering the black cat he'd welcomed in was a magical creature called a kwami, who went by the name of Plagg, and offered him a wish in return for his kindness, when he learned that what he wanted most couldn't be granted thanks to Hawkmoth's deadline, the hope he had shrank even more. Plagg did give him an enchanted mirror to see what went on outside the castle. Yet, all of the servants reassurance seemed to have no effect on him, and with every passing day, he became more monstrous on the inside rather than just in appearance. Chat Noir felt that it would be better to accept his fate than even think of defying it. For who could ever love a beast.

Delphigirl689: Not a bad start, eh? Just read and review and I'll see about updating somewhat regularly.


	2. Chapter 2

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Delphigirl689: Well, since I've been getting some good feedback on this story, I'm going to continue. By the way, in case you all were wondering who would play the role of Gaston, I decided to go with Felix from the PV. He seems like such a shallow, egotistical, narcissistic (I could go on and on) guy that he'd be perfect for the part. In any case, I will start this next chapter with our heroine's back story:

Just beyond the forest surrounding the cursed castle, there was a village. It was a quiet, ordinary town populated by simple country folk. Earlier that year, the town received new bakers, the Dupain-Chengs: a small family made up of the father, Tom, the mother, Sabine, and the daughter, Marinette. The bakers were well received and their business did better than they hoped.

But Marinette didn't want to be a baker. She dreamed of becoming a renowned tailor and make beautiful clothes. Her parents knew this and asked the resident tailor, Madame Bustier, if she would take their daughter on as an apprentice. The tailor happily did so, glad to have another set of hands to help run the shop.

The weeks gradually became months and Marinette grew to love the village. Everyone was so kind and didn't mind her eccentricity, though they did find it strange that she was so independent. Her talent for sewing and mending increased as the months passed and Madame Bustier took notice, steadily adding more responsibility to her apprentice. Yet, even with so much to do at the shop, Marinette was still able to help out at the bakery when she was needed.

One day, as the harvest season drew to a close, Madame Bustier was commissioned by the mayor to make a new dress for his daughter to wear at the winter festival. Since she felt it was time for a challenge, the tailor gave the job to Marinette, confident that she was up to the task. The apprentice took the job, hoping her skills would be enough.

After the harvest was over, Marinette was almost finished with the dress. She woke up early one brisk autumn morning to complete it. The sun creeped up the horizon by the time she was finished. Madame Bustier was still asleep, so Marinette decided to go out and run some errands before her mentor woke up.

Another thing about Marinette that made the townsfolk gossip was her avid love of reading. Only her parents, mentor, and the book shop owner, Monsieur Damocles didn't criticize it. If anything, they encouraged it. Monsieur Damocles often let Marinette borrow a book from his store. She always returned them when she was finished reading. In fact, she was returning a book that very morning.

First, she stopped at her parents' bakery, where her mother and father were busy making bread and other baked goods for the day. "Bonjour, Papa! Bonjour, Maman!*" she greeted. "Bonjour, Marinette!" Tom replied, "Where are you off to this morning?" "Just the book shop." Marinette stated, "I just finished the most wonderful story!" "Really? What is it about?" "Well, there's this beanstalk that leads to a giant's castle and-" "I'm sorry to stop you there, Marinette, but your father and I still have work to do." Sabine interrupted. Tom sighed, "You can tell me more later, cherie.* Here's some warm croissants for you and Madame Bustier." "Merci,* Papa! I will see you and mom later!" Marinette said, taking the basket her father offered and continued on her way.

As she went through the market place, people steadily came out to run their own errands or get to their jobs. But they all whispered about Marinette as they passed her. She paid them no mind and soon arrived at the book shop. She walked in and Monsieur Damocles lit up with joy, "Ah, bonjour Marinette!" "Bonjour, Monsieur Damocles, I'm here to return the book I borrowed." "You're finished already?" he asked in surprise. "Oh, I couldn't put it down. Do you have anything new?" she asked as she looked at the shelf. Monsieur Damocles chuckled, "Not since yesterday, I'm afraid." "That's alright!" Marinette replied as she skimmed across the shelf until she found a book she wanted, "I'll just borrow this one!" She handed him the book and he gasped, "But you've read this one twice!?" "Yes, but it's my favorite: faraway places, adventure, mystery, magic, romance!" Her reason for choosing the book made him laugh even more, "If you like it all that much, it's yours!" Marinette gasped, "But, monsieur, I couldn't possibly just take-" "I insist, Marinette. You love these books more than anyone else I know." Marinette graciously accepted the gift and said, "Well, thank you! Thank you very much!" With her new book in tow, she headed back to the tailor's shop.

Of course, being sixteen years old, Marinette was blossoming into a beautiful young woman, and all the young men in town took notice. But, she saw that it was only her appearance they were interested in and paid no heed to their advances. Fortunately, they all respected her wishes…well…almost all of them.

The local hero and heart-throb, Felix Ducent, had his head turned by the bakers' lovely daughter. Even though all the girls in town wanted him, but he only had eyes for Marinette. Felix came from a wealthy family of fur traders and was a great hunter. Everyone loved him and thought it was an honor to work for him, but the man he chose was Xavier Romier, a bird-like man with an appreciation for pigeons. Romier often worked as Felix's go-for, and carried around his equipment. The handsome hunter had bagged a few ducks as they were on their way into town. "Not a single missed shot, Felix!" Romier praised, "You're truly the greatest hunter in the whole world!" "I know, Romier, I know." Felix agreed in a haughty manner. His assistant was quite a brown-noser, always praising and kissing up to the arrogant young man. "No, beast alive stands a chance against you! And no girl, for that matter!" Felix said, "Quite true, Romier. And I have my sights set on that one." And he pointed to Marinette. "Wait, the bakers' daughter? The tailor's apprentice?" Romier asked, shocked. "She's the one! The lucky girl I'm going to marry!" Felix affirmed. "But she's-" "The most beautiful girl in town." "I know, but-" Felix stopped Romier's arguing by dropping his gun on his head. "That makes her the best! And don't I deserve the best?" He questioned rhetorically as he held Romier by the collar. As the pigeon man stumbled over his words, Felix dropped him and prepared to go up to Marinette, checking his reflection first. But when he looked back at her, she was gone. He tried to catch her through the bustling crowd, but she was so used to the motions of the townsfolk, she easily slipped away.

"Aaah!" came the shriek of Chloe Bourgeois, the mayor's daughter, "Get this revolting thing off me!" Marinette, who was right behind her, went up and saw a little ladybug had landed on her dress. She groaned inwardly, 'Overreacting as usual.' "Sabrina! Aurore! Kill it right away!" Chloe ordered. Marinette wouldn't have any of that. So, she quickly and gently grabbed the insect off the screaming girl's sleeve. "No, Chloe! Don't hurt the little thing!" she said, "It just wanted to rest a bit. Besides, this is a ladybug. I read somewhere that these are good luck!" Chloe scoffed, "How is something so disgusting be 'lucky'?" Marinette used all her willpower to prevent her from slapping the bratty blonde for her ignorance and calmly, but snidly explained, "Well, for one thing, ladybugs being good luck has been a custom for centuries in many different cultures, and it was recently discovered that there are tiny pests that are damaging to plants and ladybugs eat them." "And why is that a recent find, Marinette?" Chloe challenged. "Those tiny pests are invisible to the naked eye. You need special equipment to see them, like a magnifying glass." the bakers' daughter confidently answered. Chloe just cackled at the information as though it was a joke, "You really think that there are things we can't see with our eyes?! You're as crazy as everyone says!" The blonde laughed loudly with her friends as they left Marinette alone holding the ladybug in her hand. Once the awful girls had gone, she crouched down and set the little insect on a shrub. "I'm sorry about Chloe. She so horrid but, because she's the mayor's daughter, she thinks she better than everyone. Anyway, you'll be safe here, little ladybug. Have a nice day." Marinette stood up and went on her way.

Felix finally caught up to Marinette and greeted, "Salut,* Marinette!" "Bonjour, Felix." She replied less enthusiastically. He quickly snatched the book from her hands, much to her annoyance. "Felix, may I have my book back, please." He flipped through the book as though it was a cipher, "How can you read this? There's no pictures." "Well, some people like to use their imagination." she stated in a matter-of-factly way, grabbing back the book. But the hunter was persistent and took it away again, this time carelessly dropping it in a mud puddle saying, "Marinette, it's time you get your head out of those books and designs and pay attention to more important things, like me." Felix kept preventing her from retrieving the book. "The whole town is talking about it! It's not right for a woman to read! Soon, she starts getting ideas and…thinking!" he added with concern, more for himself than for her. Marinette reached and finally got back her book, using her apron to clean off the mud. "You know, Felix Ducent, you are positively primeval." She told him. "Why thank you, Marinette!" he replied, not noticing that wasn't a compliment. 'And illiterate.' She sighed in her head. Felix wrapped his arm around her shoulder and drew her close to his chest, "What do you say we head over to the tavern and take a look at my trophies?" "Maybe some other time…like never." She declined, whispering the last part under her breath. Chloe, Sabrina, and Aurore, who were eavesdropping nearby, couldn't believe their ears. "Turning down an offer like that! From Felix Ducent! What is the matter with her?!" "She's definitely crazy!" "Yeah, just look at him! He's gorgeous!" Marinette never heard them as she was concentrating on getting away from Felix. "Really, Felix, I have to get back to Madame Bustier. Au revoir.*" Romier, having finally found Felix, laughed, "Oh, that old spinster? She needs all the help she can get!" Felix started to laugh along when Marinette yelled, "Don't talk about my mentor that way!" "Yeah, don't talk about her mentor that way!" the young man repeated while conking his go-for on the head. "Madame Bustier's techniques may be unorthodox, but that's what makes her so great!" Marinette continued, "And she's not an old spinster, either! For your information, she was widowed thanks to a terrible sickness that took her husband. She moved here afterwards. You should learn more about someone before you think of insulting them!" She left in a huff and Felix sneared at Romier for his blunder.

Marinette did her best to not burst the door open when she returned to the shop. She saw that the fire was stoked and a kettle was put on. Her mentor was making breakfast in her little kitchen. "Bonjour, Marinette!" Madame Bustier greeted cheerfully. Marinette replied, "Bonjour, Madame! I'm back!" "And how was your time in town? Are your parents doing well?" "Yes, and they gave us some croissants!" "C'est magnefique!*" The two sat down to eat and chat about the morning's events. The tailor's story wasn't very eventful. But Marinette's morning caught the lady's attention, "Wait, Felix Ducent asked you to join him at the tavern?!" "It was to look at his trophies! And he went on about the ridiculous idea that women shouldn't read!" the apprentice shouted. "That may be, but he's so strong and handsome." "Sure he's handsome, but he's also rude and conceited! Madame, he's not the man for me. None of them are! They don't care about the real me: my likes and dislikes, my hopes and dreams. They only want me for my appearance." Marinette sighed in disappointment. Madame Bustier gave her apprentice a warm and gentle hug, saying, "Don't worry, Marinette. You're still young! I'm sure you'll find someone." Marinette returned the embrace, grateful for such a caring mentor. They changed the subject to the recently finished dress. "Now, this is a real wonder, Marinette!" Madame Bustier praised, "It's simple from afar but so ornate up close!" Marinette blushed, "Is it really that good?" "Would I lie to you? Of course it is! And you finished it in half the time it would've taken me!" The young lady didn't have time to react. The door opened and in came Chloe Bourgeois and her entourage. "Bonjour, Madame Bustier! Is my new dress ready?" the haughty girl inquired. "Oui,* Mademoiselle Bourgeois. It was finished early this morning." the tailor answered. "Excellent! Show me at once!" Chloe demanded. The tailor and her apprentice led the girls to the completed dress and all three swooned at the sight of it. Chloe gasped in delight, "C'est beau!* Oh, Madame, you've outdone yourself with this gown!" Marinette tried to say, "Actually, Chloe, I'm the one who-" "Should feel so happy to be allowed near such wonderful talent like Madame Bustier." the brat interrupted, "Someone as bland and talent-less as you could never dream of learning such skill on your own." Marinette hesitated, knowing that she'd never accept the dress if she knew it was made by an apprentice. So, she smiled and replied, "Yes, of course! I am so grateful that she took someone like me on to learn her trade!" Marinette carefully took the dress off the manniquin and placed it in a special box, which Chloe had Sabrina and Aurore carry out. The mayor's daughter then took out her purse and paid Madame Bustier the promised fee, and as she left said, "There is a little extra money for having it done so quickly. Au revoir!" Madame Bustier was perplexed, "Why didn't you tell her that you made the dress?" "Because, if I did, Chloe would claim that there was something wrong with it and refuse to take it! She's the leader of the I-hate-Marinette club!" the apprentice stated, "Not to mention, she'll have her father order you to make a different gown by the start of the winter festival! We don't have that kind of time and you said that your hands haven't been feeling well lately. I don't want you to be burdened by such a big job." Again, the tailor embraced her apprentice, "Oh, Marinette, you are too kind. You take the money, and don't try to refuse! You deserve it! And don't ever let that quality go." Marinette smiled brightly as she returned the hug. Then when she looked at the clock and saw it was almost noon, she said, "Wow, it's noon already! I'd better get started on lunch!" "Alright, cherie. Let me know when it's ready and after lunch, you can go help your parents at the bakery."

Once lunch was eaten, the hopeful seamstress made her way to the boulangerie.* "Maman, Papa, I'm back!" she chimed as she entered the shop. "Welcome back, cherie!" Sabine said. She put down the tray of rolls and gave her daughter a hug. "How was your day, Marinette?" she asked. Marinette answered, "It was alright. I finished the dress Mayor Bourgeois commissioned this morning." Tom excitedly questioned, "Well, did Madame Bustier like it?" "She loved it! And so did Chloe, but she thought it was Madame who made it." the girl sheepishly explained. Her parents knew how awful the mayor's daughter was,as did everyone else in the village, but they didn't want their beloved daughter to feel bad anymore. So, they just told her, "It must be a beautiful gown. I can't wait to see it at the festival!" "Yes, you are so gifted with a needle and thread. Even your mending looks perfect!" Marinette smiled and blushed at her parents encouragements. "Merci, Papa. Merci, Maman. Well, what do you need me to do?" The rest of the afternoon, Marinette helped out with various jobs around the bakery.

Then as the day drew to a close, Tom asked his wife and daughter to help load up some equipment in their cart. The baker was chosen to represent the town in a baking competition at a nearby village and he wanted to get an early start on the road. Their sweet-tempered mare, Cookie, was all hitched up and ready. Marinette always felt a connection with Cookie and she said, "Now, Cookie, you take good care of Papa for me. You know how he gets lost easily." "I heard that, Marinette!" Tom called from behind the cart, slightly offended, "And I'm bringing a map with me this time!" Sabine went up to her husband and asked, "Are you sure you want to leave now? You can always start first thing tomorrow." "Don't worry, mon cherie. I'll be in the next town by nightfall!" Tom reassured. Marinette added, "Just be careful out there, Papa. Maman and I want to see you come home safe." " I will be, Marinette." He said as he boarded the cart and took up the reins. With a cry, Cookie took off with Tom, on their way to compete and hopefully win. As he drove off, Marinette and Sabine cheered, "Au revoir, Papa!" "Bon Chance!*" "Au revoir, girls, and you two take care while I'm gone!" Tom called back, getting further and further away from home.

Delphigirl689: This is getting pretty lengthy, so I'm going to stop here for now. Read and review, s'il vous plait!*

Now, a little French education:

*1-"Good morning, Dad! Good morning, Mom!"

*2-"dear"

*3-"Thank you"

*4-"Hi"

*5-"Goodbye"

*6-"That's magnificent!"

*7-"Yes"

*8-"It's beautiful"

*9- bakery

*10-"Good luck!"

*11-"Please!"


	3. Chapter 3

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Delphigirl689: Now, we're cooking with gas! I will keep this story going while the muse is still with me. This chapter will show you what has become of Chat Noir and the castle servants. Hawkmoth's spell has taken all of our hero's good qualities so guests aren't going to be treated the same as they were in chapter one. But we'll get to that later. Let's see how Tom Dupain-Cheng is doing:

The evening dragged on and the baker wasn't anywhere near his destination. He started getting worried as the sun sank in the west. "Oh, dear. We should be there by now." he said to himself while Cookie slowly pulled on. Tom brought her to a stop at a fork in the road and took out his map, "Did we miss a turn?" Cookie remembered Marinette's request and started pulling the cart down the left path. She felt it was safer. But Tom tugged on the reins and pointed to the right path saying, "Let's go this way." Cookie huffed in disbelief. She could tell that the right path was too dangerous and continued going left. Yet despite her wariness, the baker insisted on going right, "Come on, Cookie! It's a short cut! I know we'll be there in no time!"

The poor mare trudged onwards, her worry increasing every second. The forest looked more and more sinister the longer they stayed on the road. Then suddenly, something whooshed past the trees, startling Cookie immensely. Tom was too busy checking the map to notice the distant howling. "This can't be right! I've gotten us lost again. We should probably turn around." he said to Cookie's relief and the mare backed up the cart, ready to be off that ghastly path. But the howling got closer and she was spooked. Tom tried to calm her down, "Easy girl! It's alright." Unfortunately, the cart was backed into a tree, waking up the bats that called it home. As the little things flew in a frenzy, scaring Cookie out of her wits. The mare galloped off in fear with Tom desperately trying to get her to stop, but to no avail. Cookie ran and ran until she almost ran off a cliff. "Back up, Cookie! Back up!" Tom cried. Cookie quickly got them back to solid ground, still worked up with fear. "Steady! Steady, girl!" the baker said, trying to comfort the spooked mare. But another howl made her rear up, throwing off Tom, and she ran away with the cart. Poor Tom got back on his feet. The lantern he had was broken and he was left alone in the dark.

With the sun gone from the sky, Monsieur Dupain-Cheng felt the bitter chill of winter. He walked cautiously in the dark woods. A terrible growl came from behind him. The baker looked and saw a pack of wolves prowling from the trees. Tom gasped in fear and immediately ran away as fast as possible. But the wolves were right behind him. Running through the bushes and brambles, Tom failed to see the small drop ahead and fell down. When he looked up, he spotted a gate: a sign of sanctuary. Quickly, he scrambled towards it calling, "Au secours!* Is someone there?! Au secours!" The gate somehow opened on its own and Tom ran through, slamming it behind him. The wolves growled on the other side for some time, but they left in search of something else to hunt. Tom caught his breath and looked down the road. He saw where it lead to and gasped in both awe and terror. It lead to an ominous castle.

A sudden storm broke out, pulling the baker out of his stupor. He hurried to the door and knocked loudly. The door opened by itself and Tom warily walked in, quietly closing it. He looked around but there was no one in sight. "Hello?" he called softly, hoping to not startle anyone who lived there, "Hello?" A soft voice whispered, "The poor fellow must have been lost in the woods." "Keep quiet!" another voice quietly yelled, "Maybe he'll go away." "Is someone there?" Tom asked a bit louder. Little did he know that the whispering came from a candelabra and a clock, which sat on a stand just beside him. The clock mumbled to the candlestick, "Not a word, Nino _. Not…one…word._ " "Whoever is there, I don't mean to intrude," Tom explained, "But I've lost my horse and I need a place to stay for the night." Nino, the candlestick pouted at the clock and said, "Come on, Max. Have a heart!" Max, the clock shushed Nino and covered the candelabra's waxy mouth. But Nino set one of his candles under Max's bronze hand, letting it heat up until the clock couldn't help but let go. Max cried out in pain and cooled down his hand while Nino loudly said, "Of course, monsieur! You're most welcome here!" Tom was shocked at the reply and he grabbed the candlestick, asking, "Who said that?" He looked around and still didn't see anyone. Nino, who was a little dizzy from being swung back and forth, replied, "Over here!" "Where?" Nino gently tapped the man's shoulder, getting his attention, and when the baker saw him, the candlestick said, "Hello!" Tom gasped in surprise and dropped the candleholder, its flames going out until it stood back up. The clock hopped off the stand and sarcastically stated, "Bien joue, Nino!* This is splendid! Just peachy! Ah!" The clock cried out as Tom picked it up and wondered, "How can you be speaking?" Max cried, "Monsieur, put me down! At once!" Tom rubbed his finger on the clock's "foot" and made it giggle as it begged him to stop. He then took a look at the small pendulum inside the clock, which Max, having enough of such tomfoolery, said, "Close that at once! Do you mind?!" "Pardonez-moi!* It's just that I've never seen a talking clock before-ah-ah-AH-AHCHOOOO!" The sneeze hit Max square in the face and fogged up his cover. So, he used his hour and minute hands as wipers to clear it up. The baker sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. " Oh, monsieur, you're soaked to the bone! " Nino said with concern, "Follow me and you can warm yourself by the fire." "Merci beaucoup.*" Tom replied and followed the hopping candlestick to the sitting room.

As Max objected to Nino's offer to the stranger, a monstrous shadow descended the staircase; it's ferocious green eyes glowing with suspicion. "Non! Non! Non!*" Max cried, "You know what the master will do if he finds him here!" The clock pulled on Tom's cloak, hoping to stop them from going any further, but he just ended up tumbling down the steps into the room. He did not like what he saw next : Nino led the man to sit down somewhere no one else was allowed to be, "Non! Not the master's chair! " "Why not, Max? The master wouldn't hesitate to offer it!" Nino said. "The _old_ master wouldn't hesitate!" Max argued, "The _new_ master isn't so generous!" The candelabra ignored the clock's warning and said, "Go on and have a seat, monsieur!" Friendly barking resounded as a footrest ran inside and over Max. "Non! Non! I'm not seeing this! _I am not seeing this!_ " The footrest went up to Tom wagging its tassel happily. Tom patted it on the head and said, " Hello there, little fellow! " Eager to make the man a bit more comfortable, the footrest went under his legs and propped them up on its back. Then a coat rack walked up to Tom and gave him a warm blanket, tipping its hat as it back away. Max shouted, "Alright! This has gone far enough! I'm in charge here and-" A tea tray ran over the clock before he could finish his rant. A teapot named Natalie spoke, "How about a nice cup of tea, sir? Our own special blend! It'll warm you up in no time!" She poured into a little teacup named Manon and Tom gratefully accepted it. He took a whiff and smelled something familiar, so he asked, "Is that gingerbread I smell?" "Oui, monsieur! It's our special gingerbread tea, the master's favorite!" Natalie told him. The man took a sip, only to stop when the cup laughed, "His mustache tickles, Natalie!" Tom took a look at the teacup and said, "Oh, hello little one!" But the happy atmosphere was spoiled by the door slamming open.

A strange wind blew out the fire and sent everyone shivering. Tom shook in fear as a shadow came upon him. The ferocious, cat-like monster entered the sitting room, growling in anger. "Why is there a stranger here?!" he demanded to know. Nino quickly tried to explain, "Well, master, you see, this poor man was lost in the woods and he was cold and wet, so-" A loud roar silenced the candelabra and doused the flames. Max, trying to stay in the beast's good graces, spoke up, "Master, I'd like to take this moment to say…I was against this from the start! It's all his fault!" The clock pointed at Nino, "I tried to stop them! But, did they listen to me? No, no-" Another loud roar sent the clock cowering under the rug. Tom looked to his right and saw nothing, but when he looked to his left, there was a gruesome, feline-esque face looking back at him. It's face was distorted even more with anger. "Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" the beast demanded. Tom struggled to find the right words to say, " I-I w-was lost in the woods and-and-" "You're not welcome here!" the monster growled. "I-I-I'm sorry!" the baker said, trying to remain calm. His eyes never left the beast for a moment. This apparently angered him further, "What are you staring at!?" "N-Nothing!" "So, you've come to stare at the beastly **Chat Noir, have you!?** " the monster assumed furiously. Tom cried, "Please! I meant no harm! I just needed a place to stay!" Chat Noir grabbed the man by the shirt collar and darkly said, " **Oh, I'll give you a place to stay!** " The grizzly beast then dragged the poor baker away as he pleaded over and over, ignoring the servants' own pleas as well, and slammed the door shut.

Delphigirl689: Well, that was intense! Hope you all enjoy this and I'll get to work on the next chapter!

Now for some more French interpretations!

*1-"Help!"

*2-"Well done,Nino!"

*3-"Pardon me!"

*4-"Thank you very much."

*5-"No! No! No!"


	4. Chapter 4

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Delphigirl689: Alright! Time for the next chapter! Here you'll see how Marinette and her mother are doing, Felix has something planned, and Marinette gets a new little friend! On with the show:

Back in the village, the following morning, Marinette and Sabine worked diligently to give the people plenty of bread and also make a wedding cake. "But, Maman, who's getting married today?" the young lady asked. Sabine replied, "I don't know, cherie. Mayor Bourgeois never said anything other than it needed to be done by this afternoon."

As mother and daughter began decorating the cake, Marinette wondered aloud, "Don't you think it's a little strange that there's a wedding and no one was talking about it before today?" "It does, now that you mention it." Sabine agreed, "Then again, it might be a spontaneous one. The happy couple might have just decided to get married right away." "Perhaps. Or maybe they got engaged before we came here?" The girl continued.

Her mother was about to reply when the door opened and Madame Bustier entered almost out of breath. "Madame, qu'est-ce qu'il y a?* Are you alright? " Marinette asked her mentor. Once the tailor caught her breath, she explained, "Je suis bien,* Marinette, but Madame Mendeleiv is ill and she needs me to look after her. I know this is last minute, but I need you to run the shop for me." "D'accord,* Madame! You can count on me!" she chimed and turned to her mother, "Will you be fine without my help?" "Of course, cherie. Most of the work is done and I can finish decorating the cake myself." Sabine answered confidently. Marinette smiled warmly and hugged her mother before leaving with Madame Bustier.

"Is there anything you need me to do at the shop?"

"Just some mending, and that's nothing to my most talented apprentice!"

"I'm your only apprentice."

"All the more reason for me to be so proud! You've learned more skills in half a year than most people do in half their lives!" Her mentor's compliment turned Marinette's face bright red, "Oh, madame, you exaggerate! You taught me everything I know, but not everything you know."

"Well, I think it's time that changes." the seamstress stated, "As soon as your pere* returns, I'm going to teach you my special secret techniques!" Marinette gasped, "Pas question!* Are you serious?!" "There's no doubt in my mind that you are ready." Marinette couldn't help but smile at her mentor. They then parted ways as she said, "Tell Mme. Mendeleiv I hope she gets well soon!" "I will, Cher Marinette!"

It was never a long walk from the bakery to Madame Bustier's shop. Marinette looked at the pansies in the flower box on the window sill and noticed a little ladybug on a petal.

She giggled lightly at the serendipity and said to the little insect, "Salut, little ladybug. You must be resting from your search for a place to hibernate. I'm sorry I can't address you properly, but I can never tell the difference between boy ladybugs and girl ladybugs. The term itself is deceiving."

"That's alright!" a tiny voice squeaked, "I agree that it is rather condescending."

Marinette looked around her for the source of the voice, but found nothing. There was only her standing outside the shop.

"I'm down here." the voice piped, "On the flower." The girl looked at the pansy the ladybug was on and shook her head in confusion. "I must be working too hard. There's no way a ladybug is talking to me." "But a ladybug is talking to you, miss." the voice told her, causing Marinette to face the insect again, "Just not an ordinary one."

The ladybug shone in a brilliant pink light, shocking the girl greatly, and when it disappeared, a cute little ruby red creature with several black spots and baby blue eyes floated before her. Marinette rubbed her eyes, wondering if what she saw was real. "W-What are you?" she asked it. The creature replied, "I'm Tikki! A magical creature called a kwami. I go around looking for people worthy of granting a wish. And now, I choose you!"

"M-Me?! B-But what makes you think that I'm worthy of having a wish granted?!"

"Because you are so kind, miss." Tikki explained, "We kwamis are very careful about whom we choose. So, we devise test for people and you passed mine!"

Marinette was still very confused, "What test?! I never took any test!"

"Yes, you did! You stopped that rude girl from squishing me yesterday!" the little kwami said. 'Yesterday?' Marinette thought back to the event of the day before and gasped in realization, "You're the ladybug from yesterday? The one that Chloe overreacted to?" Tikki nodded, "Ce avoir raison!* You saved my life and now I'm here to grant a wish!"

The young lady didn't know what to say. It wasn't every day she encountered a magical creature. But she brought the kwami into the shop to talk about this issue more. "Well, Tikki, that's very nice of you to offer, but I don't have any big wishes. At least not any I can't grant myself." she stated. Tikki appeared to be saddened by the news, yet she quickly cheered up and said, "Je comprends.* But since I chose to grant a wish for you, I'm magically bound to stay with you until fulfill my duty." Marinette thought about that for a moment, then said, "That's alright, Tikki. I don't mind if you stay with me. It does get lonely when I watch the store by myself, so I could use the company." Her words made Tikki smile brightly. "By the way, je m'appelle Marinette.*" "Enchantee,* Marinette!" Suddenly, the little kwami's tummy rumbled and she sheepishly asked, "You don't happen to have any food here, do you?" Marinette giggled, "As a matter of fact, I do." She then went to the pantry and brought out a tin of cookies. "Here are some cookies from my parents' bakery. Help yourself, Tikki!" Once the tin was opened, Tikki zoomed into it and began stuffing her face with the confections. Before Marinette knew it, her new little friend had cleaned out the entire tin. "C'etait delicieux!*" Tikki exclaimed, quickly followed by a burp, "Oh! Excusez-moi!* Merci, Marinette!" "Je vous en prie, Tikki!*" the young lady said, "Now, on to the mending. The sooner it gets done, the sooner I can get to my new book." As Marinette got to her task, Tikki, ever curious, asked her, "What's a book?" "It's a story that is written down." Marinette explained, "You can either read it to yourself or out loud." "I've never heard a human story before. Would you mind reading it to me?" Tikki begged. Marinette smiled and said, "Of course, Tikki! I'd love to!"

Unbeknownst to the tailor's apprentice and her fairy-like friend, Felix Ducent had been the one who planned a wedding. Everyone in town was envolved and pitched in, all believed that Marinette wouldn't even dream of turning down Felix's proposal. Romier pushed back the branches revealing the tailor's shop, and excitedly said, "Oh, boy! Marinette is in for the surprise of her life! Eh, Felix?" "Yes! This is her lucky day!" the hunter replied. As he walked away, poor Romier's hand slipped from the branch and it smacked him in the face. Felix cleared his throat, getting the crowd's attention, and announced, "I'd like to thank you all for coming to my wedding! Now, I just have to go in there and…propose to the girl!" He and the townsfolk laughed, except for Chloé and her friends who cried their eyes out. Felix then reminded his lackey, "Now, Romier, when Marinette and I come out that door-" "I know! I know! I strick up the band!" Romier cried as he began conducting the village musicians. Annoyed by the pigeon man, Felix slammed a tuba on his head saying, "Not yet, you idiot!" "Sorry!"

Back in the shop, Marinette had finished the mending and said, "There! All done! Now, let's get to that story, Tikki!" "Yay! My first human story!" the kwami cheered. "You're in for a real treat! It's my absolute favorite!" But just as she cracked open the book, there was a knock at the door. Marinette closed the book and went to the door, "You'd better hide, Tikki. It must be a customer." Tikki quickly hid behind some spools of thread as her human friend looked through the peephole, only to groan at what she saw. 'Oh, great!' she thought, 'It's him!' Reluctantly, she opened the door and greeted, "Felix, what a surprise." "Isn't it, though?" he said, "I'm just full of surprises." The infamous hunter came into the shop and walked towards Marinette like he was stalking a deer and continued, "Marinette, there isn't a girl in town who wouldn't love to be in your shoes. This is the day-" He paused to check his reflection, "This is the day all your dreams come true." Marinette cautiously backed away from his advances, "What do you know about my dreams, Felix?" "Plenty!" He then sat at the work desk, where she had placed her book, and plopped his feet on top of it, kicking off his boots, all as he said, "Just picture this: a rustic hunting lodge. My latest kill roasting on the fire. My little wife massaging my feet, while the little ones play on the floor with the dogs." Marinette couldn't help but pinch her nose with the awful smell coming from him. Then Felix got up and came right into her comfort zone saying, "Oh, we'll have six or seven of them." "Dogs, I hope?" she awkwardly asked. Felix laughed at her comment, "No, Marinette! Strapping young boys like me!" "Imagine that." she sarcastically stated while cleaning off her book and placing it on a shelf. Felix continued, "And do you know who that 'little wife' will be?" "Let me think…" "You, Marinette!" the young man told her cornering her at the door. "Why, Felix! I'm…speechless!" she replied, her voice dripping with verbal irony, "I really don't know what to say!" Felix pinned her against the door, "Just say you'll marry me." Marinette frantically felt for the doorknob, wanting to get away from him as soon as possible, "I'm sorry, Felix, but…but…" she got hold of the knob and turned it as she cried, "I just don't deserve you!" She then ducked away as Felix fell out the door and into a deep mud puddle.

Romier, only focused on his job, led the band in "Here Comes the Bride," unaware of what really happened. Marinette quickly threw out Felix's boots and slammed the door shut. Romier looked down at the puddle and, when the band was finished playing, saw that his boss was in there. A pig was on Felix's head and slid back into the puddle as he stood up, all covered in mud. Romier chuckled slightly and asked, "So, how did it go?" Furious, the hunter grabbed Romier's collar and darkly said, "I'll have Marinette for my wife! Make no mistake about that!" He angrily dropped his lackey in the same mud puddle and stormed away. "Touchy, isn't he?" the pigeon man mumbled to the pig,who snorted in agreement.

Several minutes later, Marinette opened the door and she, with Tikki, looked outside. "Is he gone, Tikki?" she asked the kwami. Tikki replied, "Yep! He's long gone now, Marinette!" The young lady stomped out of the shop and headed to the meadow nearby, Tikki flitting beside her. "Can you believe him?!" she cried, "He really thinks that I would marry someone like him?!" "Well, from that music that was playing out there, he probably does and decided to plan the whole ceremony." Tikki added. Marinette continued, "And without even asking me first! Does everyone here think I'd be the wife of that…that boorish, brainless animal?!" In the peace and quiet of the meadow, Marinette sat down on the soft grass, picking a dandelion full of seeds. "I don't want someone like him, Tikki." she lamented. The kwami asked, "What kind of person do you want?" The girl sighed, "I want someone who wants me for who I am inside. Felix just cares about my appearance." Tikki placed a comforting hand on Marinette's cheek.

Then two voices called out the young lady's name, causing Marinette to stand up. It was her mother and her mentor. They ran to her and embraced her lovingly. Sabine stroked her daughter's hair and said, "Oh, cherie! I came to the store as soon as I heard! I can't believe that Ducent boy had the gall to arrange a wedding without proposing first!" "I agree! It's despicable!" Madame Bustier stated, "You were right about him, Marinette. He is nothing but a chovanist pig!" Marinette's eyes filled with tears and she cried on the two women's shoulders. " There, there, cherie. Let it all out." Sabine cooed. Once the tears had been spent, the ladies released their hug and Marinette sniffed, "Merci, Maman. Merci, Madame. I really needed that." Then she gasped, " But, Madame! What about Madame Mendeleiv?!" "Pas de soucis, Marinette!* She is resting nicely in bed. I'll head back to her house once I'm sure that you're alright." the seamstress reassured. Tikki popped up and said, "Wow, Marinette! You have a wonderful family!"

Sabine and Madame Bustier were shocked at the little talking creature floating in front of them. Marinette awkwardly said, "Maman, Madame, this is Tikki. She's a kwami who wants to grant a wish for me. But, since I don't have any big wishes right now, she's going to be staying with me. Tikki, this is my mere, Sabine Dupain-Cheng, and my mentor, Caline Bustier." The women blinked in surprise at how calmly Marinette was introducing the creature. Yet, they smiled and said, "Pleased to meet you, Tikki." "Oui, enchante." "It's nice to meet you ladies as well!" Tikki chimed.

But the happy meeting was interrupted by the sound of a frightened horse galloping towards them. Marinette instantly recognized it and called, "Cookie! Cookie, what's wrong?!" She ran up to the mare and calmed her down. Then she noticed something disturbing: her father wasn't there. "Where's Papa, Cookie? What happened?" she wondered aloud. Sabine and Caline gasped at the news of Tom being missing. "Maman, Madame, please help me unhitch the cart!" Marinette requested. The ladies did so and once the cart was off the horse's straps, Marinette mounted herself on the mare. "Wait, Marinette! What are you doing?!" Sabine cried. Her daughter said, "I'm going to find Papa! Cookie knows where he is!" "But, cherie, you could get lost, too! I don't want to lose you as well!" the baker lady panicked. Yet, despite the pleas from her mother, Marinette was adamant on her decision and told her, "Don't worry, Maman. I'll be alright! Once I find Papa, I'll bring him home right away!" Tikki added, "And I'll be with her, too! My inner power is good luck, so she'll be safe with me!" Sabine realized that there was no stopping her daughter and reluctantly said, "Be careful, mon cherie. And hurry back." "I will, Maman. Don't worry. Come on, Cookie! Take me to Papa!" With a snap of the reins, the mare took off back into the woods with Marinette and Tikki in tow, both unaware of what laid ahead.

Delphigirl689: And that's all for now! I hope you all enjoy!

French Vocabulary 03:

*1- "Madame, what's wrong?"

*2- "I'm fine,"

*3- "Sure,"

*4- father

*5- "No way!"

*6- "That's right!"

*7- "I understand."

*8- "my name is Marinette."

*9- "Pleased to meet you,"

*10- "That was delicious!"

*11- "Excuse me!"

*12- "You're welcome, Tikki!"

*13- "No worries, Marinette!"


	5. Chapter 5

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Delphigirl689: This is your captain speaking. Next chapter coming in for a landing! Here's where our two leads finally meet and at the end, we'll see a familiar wizard spying on them. We have officially stopped and the fasten seat belt sign has been turned off. You are now free to move about the cabin:

Marinette and Tikki stared at the place the trusty mare had brought them. Even in her wildest nightmares, the young lady had never seen such an abysmal structure. "What is this place?" she asked rhetorically. Cookie was spooked by something and almost threw off her rider. But, before that could happen, Marinette hopped off and calmed the horse down, "Whoa, Cookie! Steady, girl! Steady." Once Cookie had settled down, Tikki, keeping warm in her friend's cloak, spoke up, "I don't like this place, Marinette." "I know it looks dreadful, but if Cookie brought us here then that means this is where Papa is!" the girl said. Tikki shivered, "It's not just how it looks. I feel a bad aura coming off this place. I think it might be *gulp* cursed!" While the girl took her little friend's warning into account, once she spotted her father's hat lying on the other side of the gate, she knew her suspicions were true. Ever careful, Marinette opened the gate and led her trusty cheval* towards the ominous castle.

Inside the castle, the know-it-all clock spoke to his candlestick comrade, "You just couldn't keep quiet, could you? Had to invite him to stay, didn't you?" Nino frowned as Max continued, "Let's serve him tea! He can sit in the master's chair!" "I was trying to be hospitable, that's all!" Nino said in his defense.

With baited breath, Marinette entered the castle, Tikki shuddering in the hood of her cloak. "Hello?" She called, "Is anyone here?" The girl searched around for someone, hoping to get some help finding her father, "Hello? Papa? Papa, are you here?" She kept looking for him and calling, wishing somebody would answer her.

In the kitchen, the little teacup, Manon hopped over to Natalie, the teapot saying, "Guess what? There's a _girl_ in the castle!" "Manon, how many times do I have to tell you not to make up such wild stories?" Natalie scolded. But, Manon defensively said, "Really, Natalie! I saw her!" The teapot shook in frustration and put Manon in the sink with her spout, "Not another word! Into the tub with you!" Then a feather duster, one of the maids named Alya came in with an excited look on her face, "Natalie! Natalie! You'll never believe what I just saw!" she declared, "I just saw a girl in the castle!" "Not you, too, Alya!" the head maid groaned. Alya replied, "Seriously, Natalie! It was a real, live, _human_ girl! For real!" Manon popped up from the dish water and said, " _See_?! I told you!"

Back with Max and Nino, the clock continued insulting the candleholder, and Nino mocked him behind his back. "Irresponsible! You devil-may-care, waxy eared, slack-jawed-" The two were stopped by a feminine voice calling out, "Papa?" They turned to the nearby door and saw a young woman with jet-black hair tied in twin tails and sky-blue eyes walk past them. Nino, filled with delight, smiled widely at the clock and asked, "Did you see that?!" Max could hardly believe his eyes. To be sure they weren't hallucinating, the two peeked out and saw her standing right before them. "Oh, mon dieu!* It's a _girl_ , Max!" the candelabra exclaimed. "I _know_ it's a girl, Nino!" Max said, thinking Nino thought he was blind. The candlestick was too thrilled to notice and told Max, "Don't you, see?! She's the one! The girl we've all been waiting for! She's come to break the spell!" Nino dashed after the lady with Max following him, trying to get the waxy guy to calm down.

Marinette, still unable to find anyone, kept calling, "Papa?" Nino and Max opened a door behind her and the latter stayed behind it when the young lady curiously entered, "Hello? Is someone here?" The candlestick was already hopping up the stairs so by the time Marinette came in, all she saw was candlelight going upwards, "Wait! I'm looking for my pere, I…" Max only watched as she ascended the stairs to the tower. When the girl made it to the top, she was surprised to see no one else there. "That's strange. I could've sworn there was someone…" she wondered aloud, unaware of the candleholder smiling at her. Again she called out, "Is anyone here?"

This time, there was an answer, and from the very person she'd hoped to find, "Marinette?" "Papa!" she cried in relief and hurried towards her father's voice, grabbing a torch for light. He was locked in a cell, shivering in the cold, drafty place. "Ho-How d-d-did you f-f-find m-me?!" he barely managed to ask. Marinette gasped her father's hand through the bars and felt just how cold he was, "You're hands are like ice!" Her concern grew even more when he started coughing loudly, "I have to get you out of there!" she said. But Tom shook his head and told her, "No, Marinette! I want you to leave this place!" "Who's done this to you?!" the girl demanded to know. Her father still plead, "There's no time to explain! You must go! Now!" Marinette shook her head in defiance, "I won't leave you here!"

Suddenly, a grizzly hand seized her shoulder and pulled her back as a loud voice bellowed, "What are you doing here?!" "Run, Marinette!" Tom cried. Marinette shouted, "Who's there?! Who are you?!" It was clear that she was scared and she wasn't alone, with her kwami friend quietly panicking in her hood, frantically looked around for the source of the voice, but due to her torch flying into a puddle and going out, she could only see a pair of furocious green eyes glaring at her. "I'm the master of this castle." a shadowy figure growled as it slunk around the frightened girl. Gathering her courage, Marinette face the creature and said, "I've come for my pere. Please let him out! Don't you see that he's sick?" The shadow roared, " **Well, then he shouldn't have trespassed here!** " The young lady still begged, "But, he could die! Please! I'll do anything!" The monster rumbled, "There's nothing you can do. He's my prisoner." "There must be something I can…" she paused as an idea entered her head and then cried, "Wait!" The beast's eyes look back at her, daring her to speak. She was hesitant, yet finally offered, "Take me instead!" " _ **You**_?!" the monster said incredulously before softening his tone, as though this selfless act had flipped a switch, "You would…take his place?" "Marinette, no!" Tom cried, "You don't know what you're doing!" She ignored her father and continued her negotiation, "Well, if I did, would you let him go?" The cat-like beast softly said, "Yes, but…but you must promise to stay here forever!" Marinette wondered why the figure wasn't showing itself. So, she told it, "Come into the light." Shamefully, the figure slowly stepped into the moonlight that poured into the tower, revealing his dreadful human-feline form for the girl to see. The young lady gasped in horror and instantly looked back at her father. Tom knew just how scared she was and told her, "No, Marinette! I won't let you do this!" Marinette, seeing her father in such an awful place, remembered her promise to her mother and shakily stood up to face the creature. "Y-You have my word!" she meekly stated. " _Done_!" the beast declared and went to release the baker as the girl collapsed from shock at what she had agreed to. Out of the cell, Tom ran to his daughter and said, "Marinette, cherie, listen to me: I'm old, and I've lived my life!" "But what about Maman?" she argued, "She still needs you! And I promised her I get you home safely!" "Cherie, she wouldn't have want you to-" Tom never got to finish as the beast, stronger than he looked, dragged him away from the girl. "Wait!" she cried out.

Outside of the castle, the beast pulled Tom towards a run-down carriage. The baker kept begging, "Please, Chat Noir! Spare my daughter!" "She's no longer your concern, old man." Chat Noir growled as he threw him the carriage. "Take him to the village." he ordered it and the carriage mysteriously drove off into the woods in the direction of the town.

Marinette watched from the tower window as her father was taken away. She couldn't help but cry in both relief and sorrow.

When the beast returned to the tower, Nino, who was there the whole time, spoke up, "Um, Master?" "What?!" "Well, since the girl is going to be here for quite some time, I was thinking that maybe she could have a more comfortable room!" The beast chuffed at the candlestick and stormed off. "Then again, maybe not!"

The beast came up to Marinette and she looked at him with a face that was both angry and sad. "You didn't let me say goodbye!" she yelled, "I'll never see him again! I never got to say goodbye!" The poor girl desperately tried to wipe the tears from her eyes and the monster rubbed his neck, looking at her with pity. He then said, "I'll show you to your room." Marinette was quite confused, "My room? But I thought…" The beast sarcastically grumbled, "Do you want to stay in the tower?!" "No." "Then follow me." He then led the girl down the stairs and through the corridors.

The young lady looked around at the horrid carvings and statues. She could almost see the stone eyes follow her every move and gasped in fear. The beast looked back at her and saw tears escape from her eyes. Nino, in the beast's hand providing light for the way, whispered, "Say something to her." "Huh? Oh. So, your name is Marinette?" he said, trying to make some conversation, "It's a lovely name. It suits you." Marinette, also trying to talk civilized, replied, "Merci. May I ask what your name is?" "I go by Chat Noir." the cat-like creature stated. The girl stifled a giggle and said, "That's a…a nice name. It suits you." Chat smiled slightly at her repeating his compliment and continued, "I…I hope you like it here. This castle is your home now so you can go anywhere you want, except for the West Wing." "Why? What's in the-" " _IT'S FORBIDDEN!_ " Chat Noir roared. Marinette didn't press the subject any further and kept following her "host" to her room.

Once they arrived, Chat Noir opened the door and showed the girl a luxurious room filled with many comforts of the early nineteenth century. He then told her, "Now, if you need anything, my servants will attend to you." Marinette nodded to show that she understood him. Nino then said, "Dinner, invite her to dinner." Forcefully, Chat Noir growled, "You will join me for dinner. _**That's not a request!**_ " He slammed the door behind her and Marinette threw herself on the bed, breaking down in tears. Little Tikki floated to her face and nuzzled it in an effort to comfort her friend.

Elsewhere, far away from the castle, the wicked warlock, Hawkmoth spied on the girl and the former prince with a sinister grin on his face. "And here I thought I had to be worried about that girl's appearance in that castle. The prince is conflicted by my spell, but he's still as monstrous as he looks." He cackled, "I wonder how long this 'Marinette' can keep her promise to stay there? It will be very interesting to watch."

And that's all for now! Thank you for flying and remember to take all your belongings from the overhead compartment. Be careful as some objects may have shifted during the flight. Have a nice day!

French Vocabulary 4.0

*1- horse

*2- it's not that hard to figure out.


	6. Chapter 6

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Delphigirl689: Salut, fellow Miraculers! I'll keep this brief and get right to the story. Let's see how Felix is taking Marinette's rejection:

At the village tavern, Felix Ducent was furious. The girl he wanted to marry refused him. Xavier Romier hoped his boss would feel better after a few drinks, but it seemed to make the hunter more depressed. "Who does she think she is?!" he shouted, "That fille* is messing with the wrong man! No one, absolutely nobody says 'no' to Felix Ducent!" "That's right, sir!" Romier agreed, "She has no idea what she's thinking! How dare she refuse you!" "Not just refused, Romier! I was dismissed, rejected, and publicly humiliated! It's too much for me to bear!" Felix ranted, smashing his mug on the floor. Romier quickly handed him another one, but the Ducent heir turned it down saying, "That won't help me! I'm disgraced!" He then hung his head in shame. The eccentric pigeon man desperately tried to cheer him up, "Non, Felix! You could never be shameful! Just ask anyone in town and each and every one of them will tell you how great you are! Isn't that right?!" All the villagers in the tavern cheered in affirmation. The handsome hunter lifted his head, feeling quite better, "I am, aren't I." "But, of course! Musicians will write songs about you! Your legendary exploits shall be passed down for centuries!" Romier continued, further smooching the man's derriere, figuratively speaking. The other patrons kept cheering as the lackey went on, "Why, I'd bet that Marinette will come to her senses and crawl back to you, begging you to marry her any minute now!"

Not a minute later, the tavern doors burst open and Tom Dupain-Cheng ran inside crying, "Help! Someone please help me!" The baker rushed to the villagers in a frenzy, "What is it, Tom?!" "H-He's got her! Locked up in a dungeon!" "Who?!" "Marinette! My sweet fille! Please, we must go! There's not a moment to lose!" Felix did his best to calm the frantic man down, "Hold on, Tom! Who has Marinette locked in a dungeon?" "It's a BEAST! A horrible, monstrous, cat-like BEAST!" Tom yelled.

Unfortunately, everyone thought the baker was telling a joke and exploded with laughter. Some of the men decided to play along, "Is it a big one?" "Humongous!" "With a long, nasty snout?" "Gruesome!" "And sharp, pointy fangs?" "Yes, yes! And it's covered in fur blacker than the blackest night and it has these paralyzing, demonic green eyes that can look into your soul!" Tom didn't even notice the mocking stares he was receiving from the crowd, "Will you help me?!" Felix, trying his hardest to keep a straight face, replied, "Don't worry, monsieur. We'll help you out!" The hunter signaled two of the men to grab Tom and escort him to the door. The baker, still unaware, just happily said, "You will? Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! " His gratitude ended when he was thrown out into the cold, feeling his spirit crushed.

"Good old Tom! He's got such a crazy sense of humor!" one of the men commented as they walked back to their tables. Hearing this made the wheels in Felix's head turn. "A _crazy_ sense of humor, eh?" he murmured. Romier noticed his boss's face assuming a pondering stance and asked, "May I ask what you are thinking, sir?" Felix said darkly, "Romier, I believe I have an idea…an awful idea…a wonderful, awful idea!"

At Madame Bustier's shop, the two ladies were waiting for Marinette to return with her father. They were about to give up for the night, when there came a knock at the door. Caline and Sabine hurried over with their hopes high and opened it eagerly. Sure enough, it was Tom, Sabine's dear husband who was there. "Oh, Tom! Thank goodness you're back!" She cried out in relief. But Caline knew something was wrong, "Tom, where is Marinette?" The baker reluctantly explained everything to his wife and the tailor. The women gasped in horror at his news. "Our daughter?! Locked away in a dungeon cell for the rest of her life?!" "And all because of me." Tom lamented. Caline tried to keep the couple's spirits up and said, "It will be alright! Marinette is a clever girl! I'm sure she'll find a way to escape!" "No." he stated, "Sabine and I raised her to be true to her word. She gave that Chat Noir her word that she would stay there forever. Unless the monster releases her, we'll never see Marinette again." A dreadful bout of coughing came out of the baker, making his wife and Madame Bustier concerned. Sabine felt her husband's forehead and declared, "Cher, you're burning up!" "Oh, my heavens! Come, Sabine! Let's get him to the guest room! He needs rest at once!" Tom's faithful wife helped her friend lead the baker to bed. Once they were sure he was asleep, Caline said, "First thing tomorrow, I'll get the doctor. Hopefully this illness isn't serious." "Merci beaucoup, Caline!" Sabine replied, "How can we ever repay you?" "Think nothing of the sort. We are friends and you would do the same for me." the tailor added, "And, Marinette will be fine. She has her little kwami friend with her, right?" Sabine nodded cuing the seamstress to elaborate, "Then no more tears, mon amie.* Our girl could come home any day. That Tikki gave off a comforting aura so she's sure to help her return."

Later on, at Chat Noir's castle, Marinette continued to sob on her bed. Tikki, feeling the girl had cried long enough, gently said, "It's okay, Marinette. You still have that wish for me to grant. Just say the word and you'll be right back home!" The young lady paused her crying, looked at her little friend and shook her head, "No, Tikki. As horrible as it is, I gave Chat Noir my word, and that's not something I'm willing to break for anything." The kwami sighed, "I guess that's reasonable. At least he didn't leave you up in that drafty tower."

A knock came at the bedroom door and Marinette asked, "Who is it?" A gentle yet firm voice came from the other side saying, "It's Natalie, the head maid, dear." The girl got up and walked over to the door. But she never expected what was coming in. Once the door opened, in hopped a teapot with a teacup, cream and sugar bowls, and a feather duster just behind it. "I thought you might like some tea, mademoiselle!" the teapot said. Marinette and Tikki stared in disbelief with mouths agape. "Y-You're a-" she stuttered backing into a wardrobe who also spoke, "Oops! Be careful!" Marinette sat back down on the bed, still very much in shock. "Th-This…this is not possible!" she exclaimed. The wardrobe agreed, "I know, but here we are! A castle occupied by a beast and loads of talking furniture." Tikki chimed, "I knew this place was cursed!" The cursed servants gasped in surprise and the teapot asked, "Mademoiselle, you have a kwami with you?!" "Uh, oui!" Marinette replied sheepishly, "This is my friend, Tikki. We met just today." The feather duster said, "This is a big day! Did you know the master has a kwami friend, too?!" "He does?" the girl and kwami responded in unison. "Oh, yes, mademoiselle!" the teapot stated, "Oh! Where are our manners? My name is Natalie, the feather duster is one of the maids, Alya, the wardrobe is Mireille, and the little teacup is Manon." Marinette awkwardly smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you all." "Now, miss, would you like some tea?" Natalie asked her. Marinette nodded and the teapot poured into the teacup saying, "Here you go, Manon." Manon began hopping to Marinette and Natalie warned, "Slowly, dear, so you won't spill!" Manon slowed down and didn't spill a single drop of tea. Marinette picked her up and thanked her before taking a sip. Manon spontaneously asked, "Would you like to see me do a trick?" The girl held out the teacup and Manon somehow made bubbles in the tea. Marinette chuckled at her trick and Natalie stopped her, "Manon! That's enough!" "Oops! Sorry!" Natalie cleared her throat and told the young lady, "That was a very brave thing you did." "We all think so, too." Mireille agreed and Alya nodded her head. The sadness returned to Marinette's face, "But, I've lost my family…my dreams…everything…" The teapot reassured, "Cheer up, dear. I'm sure it'll turn out alright in the end." Then she gasped, "Oh, dear! We shouldn't be gabbing when there's a supper to put on the table! Come along, Manon!" The little teacup jumped out of Marinette's hand and followed Natalie out, "Bye bye!" Alya then said, "I'd best be off, too. Now that we've got a guest, we all need to clean this place up! Let me or anyone else know if you need something to make you feel at home!" The feather duster swept away and the door closed behind her.

Mireille piped up, "So, what would you like to wear for dinner? I've got lots of great dresses in my drawers!" The wardrobe opened up and unexpectedly moths flew out, startling Marinette and Tikki. She quickly closed her doors and blushed, "How embarrassing!" She opened up one door at a time and pulled out a lovely blue gown, "This will look wonderful on you!" Marinette awkwardly said, "That's very nice of you, Mireille, but I'm not going to dinner." The wardrobe gasped, "But you must, mademoiselle! The master will be extremely upset if you don't have supper with him." "Then he'll have to get over it." the girl harshly stated, "He's not my master." Before there could be any argument, Max, the clock, announced, "Mademoiselle, dinner is served!"

Delphigirl689: And that's it for now. Sorry for not updating as fast as I was earlier. The muse is tricky to keep around when I have dozens, if not hundreds of other story ideas and plot bunnies pestering my every second of the day.

Now for some more French Vocabulary!

*1- girl/daughter

*2- my friend


	7. Chapter 7

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Delphigirl689: Bonsoir, mes amis!* Time to see what's next on "The Days of Our lives"!

*Network Executive walks over and whispers something in my ears*

Oh! Sorry! Wrong script.

*grabs another packet from satchel*

Here it is! Time to see how Chat Noir and Marinette get along over "dinner":

Chat Noir impatiently prowled back and forth by the sitting room fireplace. "What's taking her so long? I told her to come down. Why isn't she here yet?!" he bristled. Natalie calmly said, "Just be patient, sir. The poor girl did lose her family and her freedom all in one day." Nino decided to change the subject, "Uh, Master, you don't suppose this girl could be the one who will break the spell, do you?" "OF COURSE I DO! I'm not a complete idiot." the beast replied. The candlestick was pleased to hear that, "Formidable!* You fall in love with her, she falls in love with you, and POOF! The spell is broken! We'll be human again by midnight!" "Nino, those expectations are too high! You know these things take time!" Natalie bluntly stated. Chat Noir groaned, "It's probably no use. She's so beautiful, and I'm…well, JUST LOOK AT ME!" He hung his head in shame, causing Nino and Natalie to pity him. "But, sir, you just need to get her to see past all that." the teapot said. Chat Noir shook his head, "I don't know how to do that." The head maid stuck out her spout and hopped up to the monster, "Then, to start off, you should try to be more presentable! Straighten up! Be more like a gentleman!" Chat Noir sat up straight, surprised by her assertiveness. Nino then chimed in, "Yes, and when she comes in, give her a dashing, debonair smile! Come on, let's see the smile!" The beast only managed to bare his fangs. But it wasn't in a threatening way, so Nino and Natalie continued giving their advice, "Don't frighten her!" "Impress her with you rapier wit!" "But be gentle!" "Shower her with comliments!" "Yet, be sincere!" "And above all…" "You MUST CONTROL YOUR TEMPER!" The two said the last line in unison.

The sitting room door began to open, making the beast somewhat nervous. But it wasn't Marinette who was coming in. "B-Bonsoir, Master." Max nervously said. Chat Noir frowned, "Max, where is she?" "Who? Oh, the girl! Yes…the girl…Well, you see, she is in the process of…With things as they are…In all honesty, sir…she's not coming…" the clock fumbled before finally breaking the news.

"WHAT!" he roared as he burst through the door in pure rage. His servants quickly ran after him while he galloped to Marinette's room, trying to get him to settle down. "Your highness, please! Don't be so hasty!" Max desperately cried.

Chat Noir came up to the bedroom door and banged loudly. "I thought I told you to come down to dinner!" he bellowed. Marinette shouted back, "I'm not hungry!" The fur on his back fluffed up in fury, "You come out here or I'll-" "You'll what?!" "I'll break down the door!" Nino cleared his throat, "Um, sir, I could be wrong, but I don't think that would be the best way to win her affections." "Please! Attempt to be a gentleman!" Max implored. Chat Noir argued, "But, she is being so difficult!" "Gently, sir," Natalie urged, "Gently!" In a softer voice, the beast asked, "Will you come down to dinner?" "No!" Marinette replied. He looked back at his servants with a "you see?!" expression on his face. Max still advised, "Come on, now! Suave…genteel…" Chat Noir, in a grumpy voice, then asked, "Marinette, it would give me great pleasure if you would join me for dinner." "Ahem! You might want to say 'please'." the clock insisted. "Please." "No, thank you!" She adamantly replied, only to rile up the beast even more. "You can't stay in there forever!" he bellowed. "Oh, yes I can!" the girl spat back. "Fine! Then, go ahead and STARVE!" he roared. Then he told his servants, "If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all!" The beast stormed back to the West Wing in a huff, leaving the servants disheartened.

"Well, that worked like a dream!" Nino sarcastically remarked. "It did?" Max said questionably. "Sarcasm is a foreign language to you, isn't it?" the candelabra stated. Before the clock could respond, Natalie said, "Don't start with that again! It's bad enough that the master and the girl are almost at each other's throats." "You're right." Max said before turning to Nino, "You stand watch here and inform me at once if there is the slightest change!" Nino saluted, "You can count on me, mon capitain!*" The candlestick paced in front of the door and the teapot and clock hopped away. "Well, we'd better get downstairs and start cleaning up."

In the West Wing, Chat Noir threw a temper tantrum. His kwami friend, Plagg, asked, "So, the dinner date didn't go as planned?" "I don't know what to do with her, Plagg! I ask her nicely, but she refuses!" he growled, "I mean-what does she want me to do? BEG?!" "That's probably not it, Chat. She must know that cats don't beg. It's beneath them! When a cat wants something they either put on a cute act or annoy the heck out of people until they get it." the cat-like kwami replied. The beast grabbed his magic mirror and commanded, "Show me the girl!" The mirror shone with a bright green light and a moving image of Marinette talking with the wardrobe, Mireille, appeared. Apparently, she was still very irked at him. Mireille said, "You know, the master is really not so bad once you get to know him! Why don't you give him a chance?" "I don't want to get to know him!" Marinette snapped, "I don't want to have anything to do with him!" Chat Noir gently set the mirror down on a table as his expression turned from frustration to dispair. Plagg saw the whole thing, "Well, that was a bit harsh. But, she's bound to change her mind!" "No, I'm just fooling myself, Plagg." the feline-esque monster stated, "She'll never see me as anything…but a monster." The enchanted rose dropped its first petal, signaling the time to break the spell was running out. Plagg sighed, "But, she hasn't even seen the real you…"

The warlock laughed in delight, "This is too easy! The girl is doing all the work for me!" His eyes gleamed maliciously as he continued his monolog, "Just being there gives the prince hope, but her rejection drives it away! All she needs is one more push from him and she'll be running out of that castle like a bat out of hell! And when she does, the prince's last chance will be gone, I'll get rid of him, and the kingdom will be mine!" His diabolical laughter echoed throughout his lair.

Delphigirl689: This is where I leave you all for now! I hope you all enjoy!

French Vocabulary #6

*1-"Good evening, my friends!"

*2-"Great!"

*3- my captain


	8. Chapter 8

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Narrator from SpongeBob: Hello and welcome once again to the Miraculous Fairytale Theater. Tonight's performance will, sadly not include the famed musical number "Be Our Guest" do to copyright reasons, but this means that there will be a faster progression of the story. And now, without further ado, your humble writer, Delphigirl.

Delphigirl689: Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Narrator! I think that's enough of an introduction, so on with the show:

Later on that night, Marinette opened her door and cautiously looked around. Seeing as there was no one there, she exited the bedroom with a grumbling stomach. Tikki was very nervous, "Are you sure this is a good idea? Chat Noir said you weren't allowed to eat without him." "I'm not taking orders from the likes of _him_ , Tikki" the girl replied, "And, besides, my stomach won't let up until I get something to eat." She and her bug-like friend went off in search of the kitchen.

Nino, who was supposed to be on guard duty, was instead flirting with the maid Alya. "Nino!" "Ni-Yes!" " _Nino_!" " _Ni-Yes_ , ma cherie!*" Alya giggled at her candlestick Casanova's advances, "I've been burned by you before, I'll have you know!" Nino dipped the lovely feather duster for un baiser romantique,* when he spotted Marinette heading down the hall and he accidentally dropped the poor maid. " _Ouch_!" "Desole,* Alya." he quickly apologized as he helped her back up, "But, look!" He then pointed to the girl. "Zut alors!* She has emerged!"

As the girl made her way to the kitchen, the chef, a stove named Ivan, grumbled as he put dinner away, "I work and slave all day long and for _what_?! A culinary masterpiece gone to waste!" "Come now, Ivan, we all feel the same." Natalie sympathized, "It's been a long day for all of us." "Well, I think the girl is just being stubborn! The master did say 'please' in a gentler tone." Max argued, unaware that the girl in question was entering the room. "But, if he doesn't learn to control that temper, he'll never break the sp-" "Splendid to see you out and about, mademoiselle!" It wasn't until the teapot was about to spill the beans on their secret that he did and he quickly tried to cover it up by introducing himself, "I am Max, the head of the household!" Before he could place a courtly kiss on her hand, Nino swooped in and took his place. The clock grumpily introduced his paraffin-filled coworker, "This is Nino." "Enchantee, mademoiselle!" the candelabra stated, giving her hand a smooch. "Pleased to meet you." Marinette replied. "If there is anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable… _Ow_!" the majordomo asked, while trying to get Nino to stop smooching and getting his bronze hand burned again. "I _am_ a little hungry." the girl said as her stomach rumbled noisily. Natalie was thrilled to hear that, "Did you hear that, everyone?! She's hungry! Ivan, stoke the fire! Everybody else, take out the silver and don't break the china!" Max anxiously told her, "Remember what the master said, Natalie?" "None of that fuss and bother, Max!" the teapot scoffed, "Master or no master, I will _not_ let the poor child go hungry!" "Oh, alright!" Max caved angrily, "A glass of water and some bread!" "Max! I'm surprised at you!" Nino chided, " This girl is not a prisoner, she's our guest! We must make her feel welcome here! Right this way, mademoiselle!" The candlestick led Marinette to the dining room while Max continued to worry, "Fine, but keep it down! If the master finds out, it will be our necks!" "Pas de soucis, Max!* But what is dinner without a little…music?" Nino sneakily replied, causing the majordomo to panic. "Wait, MUSIC?!"

In the dining room, Marinette watched as Nino stood on the table and announced, "Ma cher mademoiselle, it is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight! And now, we invite you to relax, put up a chair," a chair wobbled over to the girl and motioned her to have a seat, she did so, and Nino continued, "As the dining room proudly presents…your dinner!"

Narrator from SpongeBob: One musical production later…

"Bravo! Brava! That was wonderful!" Marinette cheered. Max, who actually enjoyed the show, said, "Oui, oui! Bien joue, everyone!* Excellent performance!" "And how was the food, mademoiselle?" Nino asked. Marinette replied, "Everything was delicious! Mes compliments au chef!*" "It was our pleasure, cherie!" Nino grinned proudly. "Indeed, it is!" the clock agreed. He then pulled off a fake yawn and said, "My goodness! Look at the time! Now, it's off to bed!" Marinette wasn't falling for it, "Oh, I couldn't possibly go to bed now! It's my first time in an enchanted castle!" "Enchanted?! Who said anything about this place being _enchanted_?!" Max nervously chuckled before grabbing Nino and grumbled, "It was **you** , wasn't it!" The girl sighed, "I kind of figured it out on my own." Tikki, who ate with her, sarcastically stated, "I don't see _how_ you drew _that_ conclusion. It's not like there are _living household objects for servants_ or anything." Marinette giggled at her kwami friend's remark and Max released Nino from his grip. "I'd like to look around…if you don't mind, of course." she asked. "Oh, would you like a tour?" Nino eagerly offered, only to be stopped by Max. "Um, actually, I don't think that's a good idea. We don't want her wandering into certain places…if you know what I mean…" he mumbled to the candlestick. Apparently, he was thinking that the girl and her kwami companion couldn't hear him.

He was wrong.

They heard him just fine. And Marinette was not going to be sent to her room like a child. So, she cleverly asked the clock, "Perhaps _you_ could take me! I'm sure you know _everything_ there is to know about the castle!" Max blushed at her compliment, falling right into her trap, "Well, actually…yes! I do!"

Marinette was able to get the tour and was fascinated by the history of the castle. But Max was too heavy on the details and she started to get bored as he droned on. While strolling down the hall, the suits of armor turned their helmets at the girl as she passed by and the clock educated, "As you can see, the pseudo-facade was stripped away to reveal the minimalistic Rococo design. Note the unusual inverted vaulted ceilings. This is yet another example of the late-neoclassic Baroque period. And, as I always say, if it's not Baroque, don't fix it!" He laughed at his little pun and before he continued, he noticed the suits of armor and told them, "As you were!" They immediately faced forward and the clock went on, "Now, then, if I may draw your attention to the flying buttresses above the-" he paused when he didn't see Marinette, "Uh, mademoiselle?"

Sick of the clock's endless jabber, Marinette managed to slip away to a suspicious looking staircase. Nino and Max spotted her just before she took the first step and scrambled in front of her, blocking her path. Curious as to why they got in her way, she asked, "What's up there?" "Where? There? Oh, nothing!" Max replied, "There's absolutely nothing of any interest at all in the West Wing. It's dusty, dull, and very boring." Nino nodded in agreement, hoping the girl wouldn't press any further. But upon hearing where the stairs led, she snidly said, "So, _that's_ the West Wing!" Max covered his mouth in shock and Nino frowned, "Nice going, Max." "I wonder what he's hiding up there?" Marinette pondered aloud. Nino stuttered, " _Hi-Hiding?!_ The master isn't hiding anything!" "If that was the case, then it wouldn't be forbidden." Marinette argued smugly as she tried to go up the stairs. But the two servants stayed where they were and Max suggested, "Perhaps, you would like to see something _else_? We have exquisite tapestries dating all the way back to-" "Maybe later." "How about the moonlight gardens, or the castle library?" Nino added. The word "library" instantly caught the girl's attention, "You have a library here?" The candlestick and clock were ecstatic at her response, since it took her attention away from the West Wing. "Oh, yes! We do!"

"With books!"

"Scads of books!"

"Mountains of books!"

"Forests of books!"

"Cascades!"

The two led Marinette away from the stairs and, at first, she followed them, but her curiosity about the West Wing got the best of her. So, she headed up the staircase as Max and Nino walked away, unaware that the girl was no longer with them.

Marinette arrived at the top and looked around. She shuddered at the grizzly image of toppled furniture, walls covered in claw marks, and broken mirrors as she walked down the hall. Tikki was also scared and said, "Marinette, we _really_ shouldn't be here! Chat Noir told you that he didn't want you near this place! It must be for a good reason!" "He should have told me the reason, Tikki! He can't expect me to trust him if he keeps secrets from me. Besides, I'm only going to take a look and then I'll go to bed. I won't even touch anything!" She made it to the door at the end of the hall. With the doorknobs shaped like a lion's head, it practically dared her to open it. The girl hesitated, now unsure about what she was doing, but a voice in the back of her head told her to press on. Marinette let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding as she opened the door.

Even in the wildest of stories she had read, nothing in them could compare to the gruesome image that laid before her. Furniture had been thrown askew, but thankfully, none were broken. A bed with its curtains was ripped to shreds and an unpleasant smell rose from a small pile of decaying animal carcasses in a far corner of the room. Marinette began to realize why Chat Noir told her to stay away. He didn't want her to see such a horrible place. As she wandered, Tikki cried from her shoulder, "Look over there, Marinette!" The kwami helped guide the girl's sight and her eyes stopped at a torn portrait. It was a picture of a young man, but only the eyes remained intact. They were a gentle, warm green that, even in the dim light, shone with an iridescent glow. "Tikki, call me crazy, but I think…I've seen those eyes before…" she whispered. But before she could come up with how they were familiar, a bright flash of purple light grabbed her attention. On a table near the balcony entrance was a glowing purple rose, sheltered by a bell jar. Tikki tried to keep Marinette away from it, but the girl felt drawn to it somehow.

"Yes," Hawkmoth encouraged her, using his rose as a channel for his magic, "Have a closer look. There's no harm in that."

The girl gently lifted the bell jar off and set it aside. The mysterious force urged her to touch the rose, but the sound of something approaching snapped her out of it. She gasped when she saw Chat Noir coming up to her with shock and anger written on his face. He shoved her away and quickly recovered the rose with the bell jar, then slowly turned to face her while growling softly. Marinette was too frightened to speak. "Why did you come here?" Chat Noir demanded to know. All the poor girl could do was stutter, "I-I'm s-sorry!" "I told you not to ever come here!" he growled and his voice quickly rose in volume. Still, she said, "I swear, I didn't mean any harm!" " **Do you realize what you COULD HAVE DONE!** " the beast roared furiously as he knocked down one of the bed posts. Marinette panicked, "Please, arretez!*" " **Get OUT!** " he raged forcing the girl to flee for her life, " **GET OUT!** " She ran away as fast as she could. But a moment later, Chat Noir saw what he did and held his head in shame. Plagg came out of his hiding place and said, "Way to go, Chat! You've just scared away your last hope!" "I know! I'm such an _idiot_!" Chat Noir chastised himself, "Now what am I going to do?!" The catty kwami replied, "It's not Physics, kid! Just go after her and apologize!"

Nino and Max, who had heard their master's outburst, saw the girl dashing down the stairs and off to the front door, grabbing her cloak on the way. "Where are you going?!" the candelabra cried. "Promise or no promise, I can't stay here another minute!" she declared as she opened the door and left the castle with a cold wind behind her. The servants knew what had happened and they fell into despair.

"Excellent!" Hawkmoth smiled, "Now Chat Noir has no hope left at all!"

Marinette, with Tikki in tow, hopped on Cookie and rode off into the forest and, hopefully, on the way back home. But, the mare was frightened again and before the girl could try calming her, she noticed why her horse was scared. A pack of wolves prowled towards them, eager to get a taste of their flesh.

The girl quickly directed Cookie to gallop away from the vicious predators, which in turn gave chase. Coming to a clearing, Tikki warned the girl, "Wait! That's a frozen lake! I don't think the ice is going to hold Cookie!" "It's the only chance we've got, Tikki! Just hold on tight!" Marinette replied. Unfortunately, the kwami was right, and not a minute after the mare set foot on the ice, it gave way, leaving the poor horse and her rider in the frigid lake water. Even worse than that, the wolves were right behind them and the broken ice wasn't going to stop them. So, Marinette urged Cookie to keep going and she plowed her way through the ice.

Some of the wolves couldn't swim in such cold water, so Cookie was able to make it to the other side of the lake. The girl, the kwami, and the mare thought that they were free from their hunters, but they didn't count on wolves being so clever at hunting. The pack divided itself and cut the travelers off half a mile away from the lake. Cookie was so scared that she threw Marinette off of her and the wind tangled her reins in thick brambles. Tikki had barely managed to hold on to Marinette's cloak.

Marinette lifted herself up when she saw the wolves ganging up on her mare. She picked up a fallen tree limb and beat the wild dogs away from Cookie. The girl quickly went to untangle the reins, but the wolves kept charging. Marinette swung the club-like branch back and forth, hoping to chase them off. It didn't work very long.

Once one of the wolves pulled the limb out of her hands, they went for her legs, causing her to fall down. She screamed as she awaited death's horrible sting, but a large black furred arm batted the pouncing wolf and lifted it up to the owner's face. The beast let out a threatening roar to the wolf and Marinette couldn't believe her eyes.

Chat Noir had come to her rescue!

He threw the wolf down and crouched protectively over the girl. The wolf pack charged the black furred creature and he charged back at them. The wolves bit and tackled him from all sides but he wouldn't let them touch the girl. He thrashed the wolves as hard as he could, some of them right into trees and boulders.

Eventually, the wolves retreated leaving a dumbstruck Marinette and a wounded Chat Noir, who passed out as soon as the wolves were long gone. Marinette stood up and went to Cookie to free her from the brambles. Once the reins were off, she tried to get on the mare.

The warlock wickedly beamed, "That's it, girl! Leave him alone to his well-deserved fate! Go on home and let him freeze!"

But Marinette didn't listen to the voice this time. Her conscience wouldn't let her on the horse. Instead, she looked back at her injured hero and ran to him. She kneeled down and saw his wounds, knowing it was for her sake he fought a losing battle. With compassion in her heart, she took off her cloak and gently draped it on the beast. Marinette then took his arm and helped him to his feet saying, "Let's get you back home." She then assisted him onto Cookie's back, let Tikki take shelter in her apron pocket, and led the mare back to the castle.

Needless to say, Hawkmoth was furious, " _NO_! Why didn't she leave him there?! She could've been free with him dead!" He growled, "It seems that I _do_ have to worry about that girl! She could very well be the one who can undo my curse! But, I'll just keep an eye on her for a while longer."

When Marinette arrived back at the castle, she told the servants what happened and they immediately got to work to help their master. She got Chat Noir into his chair in the sitting room and Nino rebuilt the fire in the fireplace. Max went to get some bandages, Alya brought out some rags, and Natalie boiled some water for tending the wounds.

Once the water was ready, Marinette and Natalie poured it into a bowl and the girl dipped a rag into the warm water. Chat Noir came to and instinctively began to lick his injuries as Marinette wrang out the rag. When it was ready to be used, Marinette approached the beast and told him, "Don't do that! You shouldn't be licking them." Chat Noir growled at her and pulled his arm away. The servants backed away slowly. The girl tried to get the wet rag on the wound, but Chat Noir kept playing keep away with her and his arm. "Just hold _still_!" she said before finally making contact with the wound. But, since he was moving it around, the warm rag burned to the touch and he roared out in pain, making the servants duck for cover. " **THAT HURTS!** " "If you'd hold _still_ , it wouldn't _hurt_ as much." she scolded. Chat Noir groaned, "You know, if _you_ hadn't run away, this wouldn't have happened!" "And if you hadn't _frightened_ me, I wouldn't have run away!" the girl spat back. The monster didn't know what to say after that remark, mainly because he knew she was right. Then he shouted, "Well, _you_ shouldn't have been in the West Wing!" "Well, _you_ should learn to _control_ your temper!" she stated. Chat Noir pouted with his head in his paw, once again conceding that she was right. "Now, hold still," Marinette told him in a kinder tone of voice as she prepared to clean the wound on his arm, "This might sting a little." Chat Noir bit back a scream as she placed the warm cloth on the injury. Then, she said, "By the way…thank you…for saving my life." The beast's eyes softened at her sincere thanks, showing a side he had not felt in months, and he quietly replied, "You're welcome…Marinette." The servants were so glad to see him so calm and gentle again and they hoped that it meant the start of something wonderful between them.

Delphigirl689: Phew! That certainly took a lot out of me! Hope you enjoy it!

More French Vocabulary:

*1- "my dear"

*2- a romantic kiss

*3- "Sorry"

*4- "Good gracious!"

*5- "No worries, Max!"

*6- "Good job, everyone!"

*7- "My compliments to the chef!"

*8- "Please, stop!"


	9. Chapter 9

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Delphigirl689: First off, GuardianAngel1234567, I'm afraid that your request just isn't right for my story. ^-^' But thank you for the suggestion! I hope that you'll still enjoy the story!

And big thanks to everyone who's been reading this! With your support, I think I'll finally manage to finish a story for once!

I'm keeping this short and sweet so we can see how Marinette and Chat Noir's relationship progresses:

Several days later, Marinette took Cookie out for a stroll around the castle in new winter clothes the wardrobe, Mireille, gave her.

She felt warm and happy in the French pink dress and chocolate brown winter boots with the soft, almost velvety cloak and hood with a woolen trim. Tikki felt the same all snug in the hood.

The girl loved the scenery. It was like walking on puffy clouds in a frosty dreamland.

But she still had a pang of loneliness on her heart.

She remembered how her family would close the bakery early on a day like this and they would play in the snow for hours until the cold was too much.

Then they'd sit by the fire and drink hot milk or tea while they took turns reading a story book.

A nudge from Cookie's head brought her back to reality and she smiled as she stroked her beloved horse.

Their happy moment was interrupted by the barking of the footrest. The little thing romped and played in the piles of snow. Marinette smiled warmly and called to him, "Allez, chiot!* Allez!"

The footrest eagerly ran to her and jumped into her arms, tickling her lovingly with his tassels.

From the West Wing balcony, Chat Noir, Nino, and Max watched the scene below them.

"Aw! C'est mignon, non?*" Nino sighed cheerfully.

"Oui, Nino. It's very nice, indeed." Max replied.

Chat Noir felt himself change inside as he saw Marinette play with the footrest.

Then he looked at the bandage on his arm and remembered how cruel he was to her.

Yet, even with his appalling behavior, she didn't leave him behind that night.

She helped him.

The ferocity in his eyes was long gone now and his heart felt more light than he had in months.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before. I want to do something for her!" He told the clock and candlestick, "But, what?"

"Well, there's the usual things, sir." Max said, "Flowers, chocolates, promises you never intend to keep…"

"Non, non, Max!" Nino replied, "This needs to be something very special…something that…sparks her interests…"

He thought for a moment and got an idea, "Wait a minute! Books! She loves books! Remember, Max, she was really interested in seeing the library!"

"Mais oui!* Chat Noir, you could show her the library!" Max informed the beast.

Chat Noir gasped in delight at their suggestion. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face.

Later that day, Chat Noir led Marinette to a part of the castle she hadn't seen yet. "Marinette…th-there's something I want to show you…" he nervously said, "But, first, you have to close your eyes."

The girl raised an eyebrow in suspicion at his request. Noticing that she didn't feel quite right, he added, "It's a surprise."

Still not sure, she humored him and closed her eyes tightly. Chat Noir waved a paw in front of her face to make sure she wasn't peeking.

When he was certain that she wasn't looking, he quickly opened the doors, took Marinette's hands, and led her inside the mysterious room.

"Can I open my eyes, now?" she asked. "

No, not yet." he replied.

He stopped and softly told her, "Wait here." Then he rushed to the windows and drew the curtains opened.

Even with her eyes closed, Marinette could tell there was a chance in the lighting, and excitedly asked, "Now can I open them?"

"Alright, now!"

She snapped her eyes open and gasped in surprise at the room she was in. The meer size of it alone was incredible, but what really excited her was the walls covered in books. Her smile widened so much that it almost hurt.

"I can't believe it! I've never seen so many books in my entire life!" she cried.

Chat Noir anxiously asked, "Do you like it?"

"I LOVE it!"

"Then, it's yours!"

Marinette gasped, "Really?!"

"Oui, Marinette."

"Oh, thank you so much!" She said giving him a grateful hug.

He was surprised by the act, yet accepted it, and said, "Actually, I should be thanking you. After the way I treated you, you didn't leave me out there that night. So, thank you, and…I'm sorry…for the way I acted. It really wasn't like me to behave like that."

Marinette smiled as she listened to his sincere apology.

Then a strange voice snidely said, "I'll say. When I met you, you were hardly one to give demands."

A little black kwami floated up to the pair, shocking the girl before she remembered that Alya told her Chat Noir had a kwami with him.

Tikki popped up and, just as surprised as Marinette, said, "Plagg? You're the kwami we were told about?"

"Ah, Tikki! Long time no see!"

As the two magical creatures caught up with each other, Chat Noir and Marinette watched in amazement.

"I didn't know that you had a kwami?" he stated.

The girl replied, "Yes, I met Tikki only hours before I came here looking for Papa. The day before that, I saved a ladybug from being squished by this horrible girl in my village, and it turned out to be Tikki testing if I was worthy of having a wish granted."

"Really? So, why didn't you just wish yourself home?" the beast asked her.

"Because I promised to stay here." Marinette sighed, "And I never break my promises."

He looked at her with sheer admiration.

In all his life, he had never seen anyone as honest and pure before.

She then asked him, "What about you? How did you meet…Plagg was it?"

Chat Noir awkwardly chuckled, "It's kind of the same as how you met Tikki, only I had found an old black cat that needed some food and a warm, dry place. All the servants thought it was a bad idea to let him stay, but I didn't listen to them."

Marinette gazed at the cat-like monster and noticed how kind his eyes had become. It was shocking at the sudden change in him, but then she remembered Tikki saying the castle was cursed and she felt that the curse was really to blame, not the beast.

"You're really not what I thought you were, Chat Noir." she stated, making the beast blush under his dark furred face.

The castle servants all watched the pair converse in the library with big smiles on their faces.

Natalie stated, "Would you look at that?!"

"See?! I told you it would work!" Nino said.

Little Manon didn't understand, "What? What worked?"

"Oui, Nino. It's very encouraging." Max replied.

Alya giggled, "Isn't this exciting?!"

"I didn't see anything!" the teacup shouted, getting Natalie's attention.

"Come along, Manon." the teapot said, "There's chores to do in the kitchen."

"But what are you all talking about?" Manon begged to know, "What's going on? Come on, Natalie!" The teacup's pleading went on as they headed down the hall.

The days went on and Marinette finally agreed to dine with Chat Noir for le petit dejeuner.* Unfortunately, she wasn't ready for his atrocious table manners.

While she used her silverware, the beast ate snout first straight from the bowl. He stopped when he saw how disgusted the girl was and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.

Natalie and Manon nudged a spoon towards him and he accepted it, only to awkwardly shovel his meal into his mouth.

The teacup giggled lightly at the sight until Natalie's scowl made her stop.

Marinette then got an idea.

She picked up her porridge bowl and subtly suggested that he do the same. Chat Noir smiled and took her cue, lifting his bowl as well. The two toasted silently and sipped the porridge from their bowls. And with each meal, Chat Noir gradually used his utensils more and more.

As the days passed, soon it had been two weeks since the girl arrived at the castle. With their friendship growing, Marinette decided to take the beast out for some fun in the snow. She thought it would be nice to feed the birds.

Chat Noir, however, was very nervous about the idea. Being a cat-like monster, he was sure that his hunting instincts would ruin the whole thing. But the girl insisted that he join her and, reluctantly, he did.

Marinette spread out some seeds as the sparrows and cardinals gathered in the courtyard and she poured some in Chat Noir's paws.

She watched as he nervously approached the birds, but when he gently shoved the seeds towards them, they scattered to a little further away.

When he tried again, she giggled and knelt down to help. She had him leave his paws on the snow, scooped out some of the bird seed from them, and spread it out just before his paws.

Sure enough, a little sparrow hopped over and, after pecking up some of the seeds on the ground and noticing that it was safe, fluttered onto Chat Noir's open paws and pecked at the seeds within them.

The beast gasped happily that the little bird trusted him and he quietly thanked Marinette for her help as a few more birds flitted over to him.

Marinette smiled warmly at him and got back up, letting a little cardinal perch on her fingers.

Chat Noir was unsure about her smile.

Did it mean that she liked him?

Or…dare he imagine…love him?

Doubt settled in his mind as she went behind a tree.

Marinette was startled as a surge of new feelings swept into her heart.

Only a few weeks ago, she said she didn't want anything to do with the beast.

But, now, she had seen a whole different side to him…something wonderful.

The girl looked back at her friend and smiled at what she saw; the feline-esque creature was practically covered with birds and tried to stay as still as possible.

Getting a sudden urge for mischief, Marinette threw a snowball right in between the beast's eyes, sending the birds flying off in a frenzy.

She laughed loudly at his dumbstruck expression and he smirked with the same air of mischievousness and purred, "So, you want to play rough? Well, two can play that game, my lady!"

He then scooped up the most snow he could carry and packed it into a great big snowball. But before he could throw it, the girl smacked him with another one and his snowball fell on top of him.

"You're giving me the cold shoulder?" He joked, "You wound me, Bugaboo!"

"Nothing hurts more than that terrible pun!" Marinette replied, giggling like a school girl.

Their snowball fight went on for an hour or so and the servants looked on happily.

"I never thought that after such a rocky start, they'd turn out like this!" Max stated.

"That looks like fun!" Manon said, "I wish I had my arms back so I could play, too!"

Nino comforted the child, "Don't fret, little one. If all goes well, we'll be human again before the year is up!"

That afternoon, on Marinette's request, Chat Noir led her into the sitting room and offered to hang up her cloak. She let him and grabbed a book to read by the fireplace. Chat Noir asked Natalie to bring some hot milk and sat down beside the girl. The two then took turns reading from the book and Marinette admitted to herself that she finally felt at home.

Time passed and, before anyone knew it, it was Christmas time. The servants decorated the castle and Chat Noir took Marinette to get the perfect tree. They would spend the days trying to think of what to give the other.

Marinette finally decided to make the beast the finest jacket he'd ever seen. While the cat-like monster decided to give her something he was frightened of giving.

On Christmas morning, Marinette presented her gift and Chat Noir was so touched by it. True, it wasn't the first time someone gave him new clothes, but no one had ever made anything for him themselves.

Then it was time for him to give his present. "Marinette, my gift isn't as lavish as the library, and it's not something I can put in a box." he nervously said, "But it is something that I think you should know…"

He paused and the girl knew it was something that he struggled with, "It's okay, Chat Noir. You don't have to tell me anything if it hurts you."

"No, I want to tell you my real name!" he replied, "My real name…is…Adrien."

Marinette gasped in surprise.

Her new friend had trusted her enough to give her his real name.

"That's a wonderful name." she stated, "It suits you."

Adrien smiled at her comment, knowing that it was the same thing she said when he introduced himself as Chat Noir.

And I think that's enough for now. Next time we'll see how Hawkmoth is taking the progress their relationship is making…and I don't think it will be good.

Now some French Vocabulary

*1- "Come here, puppy!"

*2- "That's cute, isn't it?"

*3- "Of course!"

*4- breakfast


	10. Chapter 10

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Delphigirl689: Hold on to your hats, everybody! There's a doosy of a storm coming and its name is Hawkmoth:

Deep within the sorcerer's lair, Hawkmoth fumed with rage, " **NOOOO!** At this rate, the girl will fall in love with him by New Year's eve for sure!"

A little purple butterfly creature trembled in fear, "M-Master? Perhaps you should let them be. After all, the prince _has_ suffered enough. Surely your thirst for revenge has been quenched by now."

" **NO!** My revenge will never be complete until I sit on the throne as king!" Hawkmoth raged, "And that won't happen _unless_ that brat is out of the way!"

He paused to gather his thoughts and said, "I need to take matters into _my own hands_. Nooroo, find me a solution connected to that girl!"

The butterfly kwami reluctantly obeyed, "Yes, master…look into your crystal ball and I shall show you what I see."

The warlock smiled and gazed into the object mentioned. "I see…the girl's father and mother…arguing about the man leaving to find their daughter. The man has been recovering from a serious illness…and his wife is worried that if he leaves…he will get worse. In the same village, I see a young man who longs to make the girl his own…but she does not accept his feelings for her."

Hawkmoth grinned wickedly, "So, there is a _rival_ in this love story? How wonderful. I shall have to aid this gentleman in his pursuit. Where is he now, Nooroo?"

"He is on his way to see the mayor, master." the kwami sadly replied.

The warlock chuckled, "Then I'd best be off. That boy will be in need of my _services_ one way or another."

And with a clang of his cane on the floor, he disappeared into the night.

Back in the town, Felix Ducent and Romier met Mayor Bourgeois at the tavern after hours to discuss an "urgent matter" (aka get Marinette to marry him).

"Monsieur Ducent, what is so urgent that you can't wait until morning?" Mayor Bourgeois asked, rather upset about his holiday being interrupted.

Felix said, "You see, the baker, Tom Dupain-Cheng may have gone off the deep end. Several weeks ago, he burst into the tavern raving about a _cat-like monster_ holding Marinette in a castle against her will."

"It was probably just a delusion caused by fever, monsieur." the mayor replied, "His wife, Sabine said that he took ill just after he returned."

"But what if it's _not_ just a delusion? What if it's the start of a downward spiral for his mind?" the hunter insisted.

"The Dupain-Chengs have been a wonderful family and superb bakers. Are you _sure_ you're not just upset with their daughter refusing your proposal?" Andre Bourgeois bluntly stated.

Felix sighed, "Yes, I have my heart set on marrying Marinette, but she needs a little… _persuasion_."

" _I'll say!_ " a drunken Romier interjected, "She turned him down _flat!_ "

Felix dumped a keg of ale on the pigeon man's head and continued, "The point being, Marinette would do _anything_ to keep her father locked up."

"Oui, _even_ marry him!" Romier added, but once he saw the look on his boss's face, he shut up and covered his head with the keg.

"So, you want _me_ to throw Marinette's father into the asylum unless she agrees to marry you?!" Mayor Bourgeois cried, "That is **despicable**! I won't do it! And I can't believe such an upstanding citizen would even ask me to do such a horrible thing! Away from my sight at once!" Felix frowned and dragged Romier out of the empty tavern.

"How _dare_ he refuse my request!" The hunter shouted.

Romier nervously answered, "Well, Monsieur Felix, you _did_ ask the mayor to throw an innocent man into the asylum _just_ to get Mademoiselle Marinette to marry you."

"It's not like he would _really_ go there!" Felix replied, "Marinette would say yes to my proposal and Tom Dupain-Cheng would be let off unscathed!"

A different, sinister voice spoke, "Yes, that is quite a shame."

Felix and Romier turned around and saw a man in purple and silver garments with a mysterious glowing cane come out of the shadows.

"Who are you?" Felix asked, somewhat wary of the stranger.

The man replied, "I am Hawkmoth, a humble wizard who wishes to help you win the heart of your true love."

Romier didn't care much for the devious look in the warlock's eyes and anxiously said, "Monsieur Felix, this man doesn't seem very trustworthy. It might be best if we just move along."

But the hunter didn't listen to his lackey's advice. He was too enticed by the offer and told the man, "I'm listening."

The sorcerer held out his hand and a black butterfly with a purple glow appeared.

"This is an akuma." he explained, "It allows me to control anything, or _anyone_ it touches. Observe…"

He sent out the akuma to the pigeon man, who tried to run away, only to be stopped once the evil butterfly landed on his head.

"Monsieur Romier, you are now my devoted servant." the warlock stated, "Now, I command you to…act like a pigeon."

Xavier Romier immediately started cooing and flapping like his favorite bird, making Felix quite interested in the wizard's deal, "So, what is your offer, Monsieur Hawkmoth?"

Hawkmoth smiled and said, "I will send out enough akumas to control the entire village. _Everyone_ will do what you want…even your plan for getting Marinette to be your wife."

His words sealed the deal with the hunter, who eagerly said, "I accept, Hawkmoth! But, first, release Romier from your control. He's already loyal to me and…his pigeon impression is annoying."

Hawkmoth snapped his fingers and the akuma returned to his hand, leaving a very confused Romier. The hunter and the warlock smiled wickedly at their plot and they set off for the bakery with Romier tailing behind.

At the tailor's shop, Tom was adamant about his decision, "Sabine, I must go back and rescue Marinette from that awful beast!"

"But, mon cher,* the doctor only just declared you fit for work in the bakery, not for traveling!" Sabine cried, "Marinette wouldn't want you to push yourself so hard for her sake!"

"Jamais de la vie!* I'm going and that's final!" Tom bellowed, "Stay here with Caline, ma cherie. I'll be back with our little girl before you know it."

Sabine sighed, "Very well…a bientot mon cher Tom.*"

The two kissed one last time before the baker headed back home to grab a few things. Once he had what he needed, Tom marched off into the forest in search of the dreadful castle.

Right after he departed, Felix, Romier, and Hawkmoth barged into the bakery and the hunter shouted, "Marinette! Sabine! Tom!"

When no one replied, Romier shrugged, "Tant pis!* It seems that the plan won't work after all!"

As the pigeon man stumbled away, Felix grabbed him by the collar and darkly said, "They'll have to come back sometime. And when they do, we'll be ready for them!"

Felix threw his lackey into a pile of snow in front of the bakery and ordered, "Don't move from that spot until Marinette and her parents come home!" Romier stammered excuses as Felix and Hawkmoth stormed away.

The devious duo played out their plans in their heads and they both loved how perfect the ends would be:

Marinette would leave Chat Noir for her father and marry Felix, making the beast lose all desire to live.

Hawkmoth would then put the prince out of his misery and claim the throne for himself.

But the warlock needed to ensure that the girl would leave of her own free will.

So, he conjured up a blizzard that affected only the forest, making the poor baker hopelessly lost.

The next day, completely unaware of the plot against them, the castle servants gathered in the great hall awaiting Max's instructions.

"Now, then, you all know why we're here! We have only _five days_ to create the most romantic evening ever known to man…or beast, in this case!" The clock chuckled at his little joke, but no one else did.

In fact, the only response he got was from crickets chirping.

He frowned as he continued, "May I remind you," he paused as the table carrying the enchanted rose waddled over, and he went on, banging his baton on the bell jar for emphasis, unaware that he was close to knocking it over, "That when the last petal falls from this rose, and the girl hasn't fallen in love with the master, the spell will never be broken!"

Fortunately, the table left before the rose could be pushed off, and the clock fell to the floor in an undignified manner.

The servants giggled at his accident as Max got to his feet saying, "Ahem! You all have your instructions. Half of you to the East Wing. Half of you to the West Wing. The rest of you, come with me!"

The servants dashed away to their work and trampled on the majordomo in the process.

Max simply shook it off and Nino helped him up. "Calm down, Max, and let nature take its course!" the candelabra stated.

Natalie added, "Oui, there's nothing to worry about! There's definitely a spark between them!"

"I know, you two, but there's nothing wrong with fanning the flames a little bit." Max said, "Besides, those two have to fall in love by New Year's eve if we ever hope to be human again!"

"Oh, to be human again…not worrying about setting things on fire accidentally." Nino sighed.

"To sleep in a bed instead of the cupboard." Natalie added.

"To have arms and legs again!" Alya giggled at the thought.

Everyone was looking forward to being human again. So, they worked diligently every day in preparation for the big night.

As the servants worked on their well laid plans, Marinette and Adrien spent their days together. They would go for walks, play in the snow, and read their favorite stories to each other. Anyone could see how close they were. It was as though they had known each other their whole lives.

Two days before New Years eve, during their walk around the castle, Adrien turned to Marinette and nervously asked, "Marinette, d-d-did you…have any… _suitors_ …in your village?"

The girl sighed, "Well, there were lots of nice boys who asked me if they could court me, but I politely refused their advances."

This confused the prince greatly, "Really? Pourquoi?*"

"Because, they only wanted me for my appearance, not my interests or dreams." Marinette explained, "But the worst one of all is this pretentious hunter named Felix Ducent!"

Chat Noir was shocked at her animosity, "So…you _really_ don't like this guy, do you?"

" _Not one bit!_ " she replied, "He's so _arrogant_ and _conceited!_ He's a chauvinist pig! Did you know that he planned a _whole wedding_ without proposing to me first?! He was _so_ sure I would say 'yes' to the thought of marrying him! Je n'ai pas tres envie!*"

The beast chuckled, "I agree, my lady! A guy like that sounds just _claw_ ful!"

Marinette tried not to laugh at the ridiculous pun her feline friend made.

But he noticed her stifling the laughter and went on, "Trust me, _purr_ incess, you are _paws_ itively right in _feline_ that he's not much of a _cat_ ch!"

This time, the girl couldn't contain it and she laughed the most beautiful laughter his ears ever heard. It was like hearing an angel sing to heal a troubled soul. At that moment, Adrien knew for sure that he was in love.

Delphigirl689: There you have it, folks! I hope you all enjoy!

More French Vocabulary:

*1 – my dear

*2 – "No chance!"

*3 – "See you later, my dear Tom."

*4 – "Too bad!"

*5 – "Why?"

*6 –"I'd rather not!"


	11. Chapter 11

(Author's Note)

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Beauty and the Beast.

Delphigirl689: Alright, we're nearing the end of our story! I'll skip the playful banter and cut right to the chase:

At long last, the big day arrived and the whole castle was abuzz with activity. The servants made sure that the final touches on their plan were just right. Ivan and the other cooks prepared the finest dinner they ever made. The maids and chamber men ensured that there wasn't a single speck of dust anywhere in the castle. Nino got all the candlesticks arranged in an orderly fashion. Natalie supervised the clean up of the West Wing. The grounds keepers turned the castle gardens into a paradise. Max kept everything running like clockwork, so to speak.

Mireille gave Marinette a new ballgown, but the girl wasn't fully satisfied with how it looked. So, Alya brought up some fabric and sewing materials for her to work with. By the afternoon, Marinette had made a masterpiece of a dress.

Adrien had never felt so nervous in all his life. As his footman, a coat rack named Kim, scrubbed the beast's fur in the bathroom, Nino excitedly encouraged him, "This is it, your highness! Tonight is the night!"

Kim poured a bucket of water over the prince and as he wiped the wet fur from his eyes, he nervously said, "I'm not sure I can do this, Nino."

The candelabra pointed to the rose and replied, "You don't have time to be timid! You must be bold…daring!"

"Right, right, bold and daring…" The prince shook the water from his fur, drenching Nino and putting out his flames.

Adrien left the tub and walked to the vanity while Nino relit his candles saying, "There will be music! Romantic candlelight provided by yours truly, of course! And when the moment is right, you confess your love!"

Kim dried off the cat-like prince and prepared to style his mane. "Oui, I con-con-non! Non, I-I can't!"

"You care for the girl, don't you?" Nino asked his master.

As the coat rack snipped the beast's fur, he replied, "I do…more than anything…"

The candelabra stated, "Then, you have to tell her! She'll never know otherwise!"

When Kim was finished, the attendant awkwardly said, "Oh, sire, you look so…so…"

"Ridiculous?" the prince grumbled. The coat rack had styled his mane like a poodle.

Nino nervously chuckled, "That's not quite what we were looking for, Kim. Uh, perhaps a little more off the top?"

Kim then restyled the hair to something more regal and Max entered the chamber, clearing his throat, "Ahem! Your lady awaits you, master!"

At the central staircase, Marinette descended in a beautiful ruby-red gown, accented with small onyx gems. Adrien approached her in a charming navy blue suit with emerald colored buttons and a peridot colored neck scarf and sash. Marinette smiled at the beast, making his heart flutter. "My Lady, you look paws-itively cat-tivating this evening." He said with a bow. The girl giggled and curtsied in response, "Mon chaton,* your puns may be horrendous, but you certainly are not! You look very distinguished." The two friends linked arms walked down the stairs together. The little footrest happily barked and trotted after them.

The two sat by each other at the dinner table. Ivan made a wonderful meal for the pair and Adrien managed to use his silverware better than he had weeks ago. Kim and several other servants played beautiful music as they dined.

After dinner was eaten, the music made Marinette adventurous and she went to the beast, grabbed his paw, and said, "Shall we dance, Chat Noir?" Adrien was grateful that his face was covered in fur. It hid his blushing cheeks as she led him to the ballroom. The poor prince was nervous beyond measure. It had been too long since his last dance lesson and he feared stepping on his friend's toes. Marinette noticed him trembling and he gulped as she adjusted his arms to the right positions. "C'est bien,* Adrien." Marinette admitted, "I'm probably a more clumsy dancer than you. So, if anyone should be nervous, it should be me!" Adrien calmed down and couldn't believe that this wonderful girl was so afraid of dancing when she was the one who wanted to dance with him. The musicians played a glorious waltz and the prince, with his confidence restored, led Marinette in a breathtaking dance in view of the most beautiful sunset. All the servants silently cheered their master, especially when the girl rested her head on his chest. Adrien's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't help thinking that perhaps she did feel the same way after all. As the music slowed, Nino had the candlesticks dim their flames for a more romantic mood and the couple brought their dance to an end. They bowed and curtsied to each other and the prince led his lady out to the moonlight gardens for some alone time.

The servants rejoiced once the pair had left the room. "Quelle chance!* We're going to be human again!" Max cried in excitement.

Alya and Natalie both sighed, "Did you see Marinette get so close to Adrien?! It's like something out of a fairy tale!"

"A tale as old as time."

"And they'll reach 'happily ever after' with time to spare!" Nino added. They kept imagining how things would play out as the lovely couple were on their rendezvous.

Marinette looked at the scenery in awe. She hadn't been there before. Despite the bitter cold, there were beautiful flowers blooming. In the soft light of the crescent moon, hundreds of different winter blooms adorned the small piece of landscape: chrysanthemums, pansies, several types of lilies, orchids, gerbera daisies, and Star of Bethlehem, all twinkled with an ethereal glow. Adrien saw how enraptured she was by the view and smiled lovingly at her joy. "C'est incroyable!* I never knew a winter scene could look so warm!"

"It certainly is supurrb isn't it, my lady?" the beast commented with a little pun, making the girl groan inwardly and shake her head in both disbelief and amusement.

The two sat down on a bench and just gazed at the scenery for a while. Adrien did his best to hide his nervousness. 'This is it,' he thought to himself, 'It's now or never!' He then took a deep breath and turned to his friend, "Marinette, are you…happy here…with me?" he asked.

Marinette smiled, "Of course, I am, Adrien. We might have had a rocky start, but I love it here. You and everyone here is so kind. It almost feels like home."

The prince noticed the slight pain in her eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

The girl sighed, "I just…I wish I could see my parents again…even if it's only for a moment. I miss them so much." She could feel the tears creeping into her eyes as she thought about her family.

Chat Noir, not wanting her to be sad, quickly thought of a way to grant her wish, "I think I know how you can see them, my lady." He gently took her hand and led her to his room in the West Wing.

"I see they've tidied up in here." Marinette stated, still somewhat sad in her tone of voice.

The beast replied, "Yes. It had a long time coming."

He then picked up his magic mirror and gave it to the girl, saying, "This mirror will show you anything…anything you want to see."

Marinette asked the mirror, "I'd like to see my father, s'il vous plait.*" The mirror flashed a green light and showed her a terrible image. Her father was struggling to move in a dreadful snowstorm, coughing heavily with every step.

Marinette gasped, "Papa?! Oh no!"

"What happened?" Chat Noir asked her in concern.

The poor girl choked back the horrified sobs in her throat and showed him the scene in the mirror, "Look! It's Papa! He out there looking for something! Probably me! And he's sick! He could be dying, and he's all alone!" At that revelation, Marinette couldn't dam the tears any longer and broke into pieces at the helplessness she felt. Adrien then made the most difficult decision of his life, even harder than telling his father not to return to the castle: he wasn't going to let Marinette suffer from knowing her father was in trouble and she couldn't help him…at the cost of ever breaking Hawkmoth's spell.

"Then…y-you must go to him!" he said, bringing the girl's tears to a halt.

"W-What?"

"I-I release you…you're not my prisoner anymore, Marinette…" he elaborated.

"Y-You mean…I'm free?" she sighed in shock.

"Y-Yes…you need to hurry if you're going to find your father in time." Chat Noir sadly purred.

Marinette gratefully hugged the cat-like prince saying, "Merci! Merci beaucoup, Adrien!"

She tried to give him back the mirror, but he shook his head and told her, "Take it with you. Then you can always have a way to look back…and remember me."

The girl softly stroked his cheek with her free hand, "Merci, mon ami…for understanding why I have to go." With a heavy heart, she quickly left the room, just as Max came in to check on things.

"Well, your highness, I must say that everything is going swimmingly!" the clock stated, oblivious to the negative shift in mood, "I knew you had it in you all along!"

"I let her go, Max." Chat Noir painfully growled.

"Oui, oui, splen- WHAT?! H-How could you do that?!" the majordomo incredulously asked once he realized what his master said.

"I had to…that's how…"

"B-B-But…WHY?!"

"Because…I love her." the beast replied.

"He did WHAT?!" the other servants cried when Max delivered the news.

"Oui…I'm afraid it's true." the clock said in a somber tone.

Manon squeaked, "She's going away?!"

"But, he was so close!" Nino wailed.

"He loves her…" Natalie sighed, "He truly loves her."

"Is that enough to break the spell?" Alya asked hopefully.

The teapot shook her head, "That's not how Hawkmoth's spell works. She has to love him for who he is inside."

"Now it's too late." Max added.

As the others moped, little Manon decided to take action and see if she could stop Marinette from leaving forever.

Marinette hurried into her room and quickly changed from her ballgown to her regular clothes. Tikki popped up and asked, "What's going on, Marinette? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"There's no time to explain, Tikki!" the girl replied as she pulled her cloak on, "We have to go, now!"

Perplexed, the kwami zoomed into the hood as her charge rushed to the stables, mounted her faithful mare, Cookie, and dashed away into the forest, with the magic mirror as their guide.

Plagg zipped to Adrien with an idea as to what happened. "So…that's it then, huh? You really let her go." He said.

Chat Noir roared, "I had to, Plagg! What did you want me to do? Make her stay, let her father die out there, and feel guilty for the rest of her life?! If I did that, I'd really be a monster!"

"Hey, hey, calm down! I never said letting her go was a bad thing! It obviously couldn't have waited until morning. The poor man probably wouldn't last that long in his condition." the black, cheese loving kwami stated, "But, you'll never be human and see your father again. This is just what Hawkmoth wants, you know."

"I don't care anymore." the beast replied, "As long as she's happy, then I'll be happy."

"Well, I guess that's okay. I just hope you won't regret it." Plagg said.

There was a slight pause as Adrien thought about the warlock who started everything. 'What if Hawkmoth knows about Marinette?' he thought, 'Would he try to hurt her, too?!' With those thoughts, he made another tough choice, "Plagg, I think I'm ready to make that wish now."

There you have it, folks! Sorry about the wait, but the muse evaded me for a while and finally resurfaced. Enjoy!

French Vocabulary…again:

*1- "My kitty."

*2- "It's okay."

*3- "How lucky!"

*4- "This is incredible!"

*5- "please."


	12. Chapter 12

Delphigirl689: Sorry for the wait, muse escapes at the worst times! But after some insane amount of coaxing, the muse is back! And for the guest who asked to make a comic or something out of this, you have my permission to use my story. Thank you for asking me first. Rounding the corner and on with the show!

Marinette raced through the woods in her desperate search for her father.

"Papa!" she cried every few moments hoping that he would answer.

Soon she found him half buried in a snow bank.

Quickly dismounting Cookie, the girl ran to her father and brushed the snow off his body.

Her eyes stung with tears as she felt his cold skin, fearing the worst.

But Tikki zipped from the girl's hood and the kwami examined the baker's condition.

"C'est bien, Marinette! He's still alive!" Tikki chimed assuredly.

Marinette sighed in relief at the news and gathered her strength to escort her father to Cookie.

Once he was safely on the mare, Marinette gently rode back to the bakery.

But when she saw that her mother wasn't there, she went to Madame Bustier's shop, the next place of which she could think.

Little did she know that standing right outside was Xavier Romier, disguised as a snowman and waiting for their return.

Once he saw them, he broke out of his snowy display and dashed off to inform Felix.

Caline and Sabine worried for Tom's safety and feared the worst, but a loud knock at the door distracted them from such terrible thoughts.

The tailor quickly answered the door and was greeted to a welcome surprise: Marinette standing in the cold with her trusty mare at her side.

Both women were more than delighted to see her again.

"Oh, Marinette! You're home!"

"Thank heavens you're safe!" Sabine and Caline respectively cried with joy as they embraced the girl tightly.

Marinette did so as well, also glad to be home, then remembered the reason for her return, "I'm glad to be back, but I wish it was for only homesickness."

She showed the ladies Tom laying on Cookie in a serious state.

They quickly brought the baker down from the mare's back and into the guest bedroom.

Madame Bustier immediately took action and readied everything to nurse him back to health.

In the meantime, Marinette and Tikki relayed the story of their time in the enchanted castle.

"Oh my! It sounds so wonderful there!" Madame Bustier said.

Sabine added, "And Adrien must be very charming."

"Well, it wasn't like that in the beginning." Marinette admitted, "He was actually kind of a jerk the first day, but after he saved me, we talked and soon enough, he started acting like a decent person."

Sabine and Caline smiled slyly at the girl, making her somewhat uncomfortable.

"Why are you two looking at me like that?" Marinette asked.

Caline replied, "The way you talk about this Adrien sounds like you are in love with him."

Marinette's face turned bright red almost instantly.

"W-What gave you that idea?!"

"Ma fille, you wear your heart on your sleeve." Her mother pointed out, "It's hard for you to hide anything, especially from your own mother."

Marinette sighed, "It feels strange…like there's a rock sitting in my stomach. I just left but…I want to go back."

Sabine took her daughter's hand and beamed, "Then go back. You brought your father home and we can take care of him here."

"But…Madame Bustier, what about the shop?" Marinette inquired with worry.

"I can look after things myself," the seamstress reassured, "I've been running it fine even before you came along."

Marinette thought about returning to Adrien's castle for a few moments, then announced, "I will go back, but after Papa feels better."

For the first time since arriving at Madame Bustier's home, Tikki spoke up, "Wait Marinette! There's something you should know about Adrien."

"Adrien is under a curse?!"

"Oui. Plagg told me all about it." Tikki explained, "An evil warlock named Hawkmoth turned him into Chat Noir and the servants into those objects. If Adrien can't find someone who loves him despite his appearance by the year's end, he and the others will remain in their cursed forms for the rest of their lives!"

"How awful!" Sabine gasped.

"Such a despicable man!" Caline shuddered.

"And that's not even half of it." A strange new voice chimed.

The women and Tikki searched for the source of the voice and spotted a small, cat-like fairy creature, with whom Marinette and Tikki were very familiar.

" _Plagg_?!" cried Tikki and Marinette in unison and surprise.

"You're supposed to be with Adrien!" Tikki sqealed.

"What are you doing here?" Marinette asked.

"Granting Adrien's wish." Plagg replied, "Do you have any cheese around here?"

Sabine fetched some gruyere from the kitchen and gave it to the cat kwami.

Caline asked, "What do you mean by 'granting Adrien's wish'?"

"You see, that warlock who cursed Adrien is still out there, and it's possible he's been spying on us for his own amusement." Plagg explained, "If that's the case, he knows how close we got to breaking his spell. Hawkmoth is a dangerous man and he'd probably do anything to keep Adrien's curse from breaking. He made it _very_ clear the night he showed up. He wants the throne that badly."

Curious, the tailor wondered, "And by 'anything' you mean…"

"Bring harm to, or heaven forbid, _kill_ Marinette." Plagg elaborated.

The women, Marinette, and Tikki gasped in horror.

"Oui. That's why Adrien wished for me to keep you safe." Plagg said, finishing his cheese.

"Adrien used his wish…to protect me?" the young lady quavered.

"Don't sound so surprised!" the cat-like kwami replied, "He made that wish and let you go save your pere on the last night of the year! Tonight…was his _last chance_ to get you to fall in love with him. He doesn't care about breaking the spell anymore. All he wants now…is for you to be happy…even if he has to stay in that beastly form until the day he dies."

Marinette never felt so torn in her life.

She wanted to return to Adrien, but she also wanted to make sure her father got well.

Sabine, noticing the conflict within Marinette, embraced her daughter and said, "I told you that I can look after your father. After all that's what I did before we had you."

"But-"

"No 'buts' Marinette. Go to your true love and free him from that spell!"

Before any more was said, Tom stirred from his sick bed muttering, "Ma Marinette…mon cherie ange…"

Immediately the girl ran to her father's side, with her mother and Madame Bustier following suit.

"It's okay, Papa! I'm here!" Marinette gently whispered as her father blinked his eyes open.

Tom gasped in relief at the sight of his beloved daughter, "I thought I would never see you again!"

"I'm here now, Papa. I'm home."

"How did you escape?" Tom asked.

Marinette replied, "I didn't escape, Papa. He…he let me go…"

"That horrible, beastly Chat Noir?!" the baker cried in shock.

"He's not horrible, Papa!" Marinette rebuffed, "He's…really wonderful and sweet and…he's been under a terrible curse that made him act like that."

"A curse?"

Suddenly, before any further explanations could be made, there was a knock at the door.

Caline and Sabine quickly answered it and standing before them was Mayor Bourgeois.

Sabine asked, "May I help you, Monsieur Bourgeois?"

The mayor said, in a strange tone of voice, "I've come to collect your husband, Madame Dupain-Cheng."

" 'Collect'? What do you mean?" Madame Bustier suspiciously questioned.

"Don't worry, Madame," he continued while stepping aside, revealing a cart with barred windows, "We'll see that he's well cared for at the asylum."

" ** _Asylum?!_** " the two women shouted in disbelief.

Marinette overheard the conversation and gasped in horror.

Plagg called from the window, "Mamselle! You might want to look at this!"

She and Tikki hurried over to see what Plagg was worried about and what they saw was unbelievable.

Everyone in town had formed a mob with torches and pitchforks.

Furiously, the girl pushed past her mother and mentor and yelled, "My father is not crazy!"

"He was raving like a lunatic!" Monsieur Romier cried, riling up the townsfolk, "We all heard him, didn't we?!"

The villagers uncharacteristically shouted at the ladies in anger.

The noise brought Tom to the door, alarming Sabine, "Mon amor! You mustn't be out of bed!"

"But, cherie, I can't let them hur—"

"Monsieur Tom! Tell us again," Romier jested, "How big was that beast, Chat Noir?!"

The townspeople jeered, urging the ailing man to tell of his encounter.

"Well, he-he was…enormous!" Tom recalled, "He must have been eight-no more like ten feet tall!"

Everybody laughed at the tale, dumfounding the poor people and making them feel trapped.

"You can't get much crazier than that, non?!" Romier cackled.

Mayor Bourgeois commanded, "Take him away!"

Several men seized Tom while two others prevented Sabine and Madame Bustier from chasing after them.

Marinette managed to slip past the mob and grabbed the mayor's arm in protest.

"Arretez!" she cried, "I won't let you do this!"

Mayor Bourgeois jerked back his arm and walked away without a word.

Marinette was so confused.

All of her neighbors, who treated her family with kindness, were now ganging up against them.

Felix, spotting his chance, strolled up to the distraught girl and in false sympathy said, "Pauvre Marinette.* It's ashame about your pere."

Desperate for help, Marinette fretted, "You know he's not crazy, don't you Felix?"

Pretending to think things over, the devious hunter mused, "I suppose I could clear up this…little misunderstanding. If…"

"If what?" she wondered, suspicious of the man's intentions.

"If…you marry me, Marinette."

"What?!"

"Just one little word and this will all go away." Felix bargained.

Furious at the hunter's strategem, the girl snapped, "Jamais!*"

Annoyed, yet not deterred by the young lady's stubbornness, he taunted, "Have it your way, Mademoiselle."

Felix, confident that his plan would not fail, fought back a smile as Tom Dupain-Cheng was dragged towards the cart.

Marinette was at a loss and almost considered accepting the mendacious young man's proposal, if only to save her father.

Tikki and Plagg sensed the dark magic surrounding the people and quietly urged their human friend to step away.

The girl complied and once they were out of sight, the kwamis explained the situation.

"It's not their fault, Marinette!" Tikki whispered, "They are under an evil spell!"

"An evil spell?"

"I recognize the stench of Hawkmoth on these people." Plagg hissed, "This is precisely why Adrien wished for me to protect you."

"Is there any way to break the warlock's hold on them?" she inquired.

Plagg quickly thought it over and suggested, "Maybe you could scare them straight! Show them something horrible that'll knock the magic right out of them!"

"The mirror!" Tikki piped, "Use the mirror to show them Chat Noir! Make them see that your pere was telling the truth!"

Marinette took her kwami friends' advise and ran back inside for the gift Adrien gave her.

With the magic mirror in her hand, she bolted out of the house in front of the mob shouting, "Ma pere is not crazy and I can prove it! Show me Chat Noir!"

The mirror shone with magic light and projected the image of Chat Noir for all to see.

The poor creature was roaring in sorrow, but to the villagers, it was pure ferocity.

Their shock was enough to force Hawkmoth's magic out of them, much to the warlock's surprise.

Delphigirl689: I'm so sorry for the long wait everybody! It seems like every time I try to write a story, something throws a wrench in the works before I get to the end. I'll try to make the rest of the story hopefully before next New Year's comes around.

*1- "Poor Marinette."

*2- "Never!"


End file.
